Carotid Ultrasonography of Thyroid Incidentaloma

With the widespread use of a high-resolution sonographic equipment for breast ultrasound or carotid ultrasonography, the proportion of asymptomatic cases in which thyroid nodules are incidentally found has been increased. Given the above background, we attempted to assess the incidence of incidental thyroid cancers, which were incidentally detected while examining the thyroid gland, one of the anatomical structures that are adjacently located, during the carotid ultrasonography, and the rate of malignancy on ultrasonography. The current study was conducted in 258 patients who underwent a carotid ultrasonography. Of these, excluding patients who were aware that thyroid nodules were present in these nodules, 273 patients were finally selected for the incidental thyroid tumor. Then, based on the interpretation results, the incidence of nodules, size and the findings were thyroid nodules were classified into probably benign, indeterminate and suspiciously malignant nodule. Based on this classification, the rate of malignancy was evaluated. In our series, 49 of 237 patients (20.7%) had thyroid nodules detected. Mean size was 1.13 cm (range 0.3 cm~5.1 cm). The number of cases in which the size of thyroid nodules was smaller than 1 cm (60.4%). Of thyroid nodules, probably benign nodule of < 5 mm in size was not recorded on the ultrasonography. Besides, probably benign nodules were identified from 51.7% (30/58), indeterminate nodules were identified from 39.7% (23/58) and suspiciously malignant nodules were identified from 8.6% (5/58). These results indicate that the malignancy rate was relatively higher. It can therefore be inferred that even the incidental thyroid rumors should also be managed and then treated in the same manner a thyroid nodules which are found in a clinical setting.