Prevalence or thyroid nodules with high frequency (13 Mhz) ultrasound examination

Objectives: The prevalence of thyroid nodules in a healthy population is high: a finnish study in healthy middle-aged women showed abnormalities of the thyroid gland during ultrasound examination in 35,6%, in the german Papillon study thyroid nodules were found in 33% of the normal population, here a nationwide ultrasound screening was performed with 5,0 to 7,5MHz scanners.

Methods: 682 consecutive patients who presented for a preventive health check up underwent an ultrasound screening of the thyroid gland (Siemens Acuson Antares, 13MHz-linear scanner, B-mode and Power mode) and measurement of the basal TSH value. The size of the thyroid gland and present nodules was measured and the vascularisation of the gland as well as of the nodules was assessed.

Results: In 440 of 682 patients thyroid nodules could be detected by high frequency ultrasound, mostly in a normal sized gland. Nodules were mostly smaller than 5mm and not palpable.

Conclusions: In this patient population there was a substantially higher prevalence of thyroid nodules (64%) as would have been predicted from the results of the papillon study (33%). High frequency ultrasound provides excellent resolution and enables detection of focal thyroid lesions 1–2mm in diameter. Jodine deficiency in Germany supposedly is the maine cause for these unexpected results.