Thyroid ultrasound

Ultrasound is a painless method that uses sound waves to create images of the inside of the body. The test is often done in the ultrasound or radiology department of a hospital. It also can be done in a clinic. The test is done in this way: You lie down with your neck on a pillow or other soft support. Your neck is…

No special preparation is necessary for this test.

You should feel very little discomfort with this test. The gel may be cold.

A thyroid ultrasound is usually done when a physical exam shows any of these findings: You have a growth on your thyroid gland, called a thyroid nodule . The thyroid feels big or irregular, called a goiter . You have abnormal lymph nodes near your thyroid. Ultrasound is also often used to guide the needle in biopsies…

A normal result will show that the thyroid has a normal size, shape, and position.

Abnormal results may be due to: Cysts (nodules filled with fluid) Enlargement of the thyroid gland ( goiter ) Thyroid nodules Thyroiditis, or inflammation of the thyroid (if a biopsy is done) Thyroid cancer (if a biopsy is done) Your health care provider can use these results and the results of other tests to direct…

There are no documented risks for ultrasound.

Salvatore D, Cohen R, Kopp PA, Larsen PR. Thyroid pathophysiology and diagnostic evaluation. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology . 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 11. Sipos JA. Thyroid imaging. In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology .…