Ultrasonic differential diagnosis of nodular goiter and thyroid adenoma

Objective:To investigate the sonographic features of thyroid adenoma and nodular goiter and to improve the sonographic diagnosis.Methods:Sonographies of 45 patients with thyroid adenoma and 50 patients with nodular goiter confirmed by pathological examination were reviewed retrospectively;the sonographic characteristics were studied and compared with pathological diagnoses.Results:Nodule presented in both nodular goiter and thyroid adenoma,the numbers of nodules were usually multiple(32 cases,64.0%) in nodular goiter and solitary in adenoma(29 cases,64.4%),and capsule was not found outside the nodular goiter and might found outside the adenoma.The echogenicities around the nodules of the two diseases were different with significat difference(P0.05).On CDFI,the distributions of blood flow signals in and around the two nodules were significantly different(P0.05).Conclusion:Thyroid adenoma and nodular goiter have different features of Color Doppler ultrasographies,which are of important clinical significance in the differential diagnosis.