Clinician-performed thyroid ultrasound.

This article is intended to demystify the process for those with a potential interest in acquiring ultrasound skills. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of head and neck ultrasound but, rather, is focused on the bare minimum requirements and considerations involved in clinician-performed ultrasound. The article covers the initial diagnosis and the unparalleled usefulness of ultrasound for surgical planning just before incision. Further readings are listed at the end of the article to direct the reader to some excellent texts to help build confidence and experience.