Diagnostic Significance of Ultrasonography in Thyroid Nodule

The efficiency of combined application of isotope scan and ultrasonography of thyroid was assessed in 91 patients with thyroid nodule. Malignancy rates were 35.5%, 18.8%, and 0% in solid, complex and cystic nodule group, respectively. No statistically significant corelationship was found between isotope scan finding and ultrasonographic finding. Malignant nodules were found, only in cold solid nodule group and in cold complex nodule group, and rate of malignant nodule was different between them (45.8% in cold solid nodule group and 20.7% in cold complex nodule group). Difference between the rate of cystic change in benign and malignant nodule observed in our study (59.2% vs. 35.3%) was thought to explain at least partly the statistically different rate of malignant nodule in cold solid nodule and cold complex nodule group. No difference in the boundary condition, echogenicity and distribution of internal echo existed between benign nodule group and malignant nodule group.