BACKGROUND: Thyroid imaging is of proven help in establishing a diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism in infants. US often shows tissue in the thyroid fossa when radionuclide scintigraphy reveals only ectopic uptake. OBJECTIVE: Our hypothesis was that the use of US alone could lead to the mistaken diagnosis of normal or dysplastic thyroid in cases of scintigraphy-proven thyroid ectopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We undertook a detailed retrospective review and analysis of imaging and concurrent biochemistry in infants with thyroid ectopia, confirmed by radionuclide scintigraphy. RESULTS: Eighteen infants had thyroid ectopia; ten of the original US reports had suggested that cervical thyroid tissue was present. Review showed bilateral tissue in the thyroid fossa in all that was non-thyroidal in nature since, apart from showing no radionuclide uptake, it exhibited some or all of the following typical features: hyperechogenicity, heterogeneity, small size, poor vascularity, and anechoic and/or hypoechoic cysts. Also, extension of the tissue both around and behind the large cervical blood vessels was a universal finding. CONCLUSION: Considerable experience is required to interpret neonatal thyroid US. We caution against diagnosing a dysplastic/hypoplastic thyroid gland in situ on the basis of US alone, particularly if the tissue exhibits any of the non-thyroidal features described.
BACKGROUND: Thyroid imaging is of proven help in establishing a diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism in infants. US often shows tissue in the thyroid fossa when radionuclide scintigraphy reveals only ectopic uptake. OBJECTIVE: Our hypothesis was that the use of US alone could lead to the mistaken diagnosis of normal or dysplastic thyroid in cases of scintigraphy-proven thyroid ectopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We undertook a detailed retrospective review and analysis of imaging and concurrent biochemistry in infants with thyroid ectopia, confirmed by radionuclide scintigraphy. RESULTS: Eighteen infants had thyroid ectopia; ten of the original US reports had suggested that cervical thyroid tissue was present. Review showed bilateral tissue in the thyroid fossa in all that was non-thyroidal in nature since, apart from showing no radionuclide uptake, it exhibited some or all of the following typical features: hyperechogenicity, heterogeneity, small size, poor vascularity, and anechoic and/or hypoechoic cysts. Also, extension of the tissue both around and behind the large cervical blood vessels was a universal finding. CONCLUSION: Considerable experience is required to interpret neonatal thyroid US. We caution against diagnosing a dysplastic/hypoplastic thyroid gland in situ on the basis of US alone, particularly if the tissue exhibits any of the non-thyroidal features described.
Authors: F Dammacco; A Dammacco; T Cavallo; S Sansonna; N Bafundi; C Torelli; E Frezza; F Vitale; D Griseta Journal: J Pediatr Date: 1985-03 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: J P Chanoine; V Toppet; J J Body; G Van Vliet; R Lagasse; P Bourdoux; M Spehl; F Delange Journal: J Endocrinol Invest Date: 1990-02 Impact factor: 4.256
Authors: D T Anton-Paduraru; S Bilha; E G Miftode; M L Iliescu; L Leustean; M C Ungureanu Journal: Acta Endocrinol (Buchar) Date: 2020 Oct-Dec Impact factor: 0.877
Authors: Chourouk Mansour; Yasmine Ouarezki; Jeremy Huw Jones; Morag Green; Emily Jane Stenhouse; Greg Irwin; Pia Hermanns; Joachim Pohlenz; Malcolm David Cairns Donaldson Journal: BJR Open Date: 2020-06-10