How to read a thyroid ultrasound report

  High-resolution ultrasonography of the thyroid gland is widely used in the physical examination of healthy individuals and in the diagnosis of thyroid disorders. It is extremely sensitive and can detect lesions of a few millimeters (thyroid nodules), which can lead to early diagnosis and early treatment of the disease, but it causes great psychological stress and psychological health damage to the subject and the patient because they cannot properly read the information provided by the ultrasound report. Accordingly, this article has been prepared in the hope that it will be helpful to those who have had a thyroid ultrasound.  The contents of the thyroid ultrasound report 1. Description 1. Report on the general condition of the thyroid gland: location, size, morphology, echogenicity, and blood flow of the thyroid gland.  2. Thyroid nodules: location, size, shape, margin, echogenicity, blood flow, etc.  3.Cervical lymph nodes: location, size, morphology, margin, echogenicity, blood flow, etc.  The conclusion section makes a probable diagnosis and provides advice on further examination and management.  Keywords suggesting the possibility of malignant (cancerous) nodules in thyroid ultrasound report If the following statements appear in the report, they suggest the possibility of thyroid cancer: hypo/very hypo/uneven echogenicity, solidity, irregular morphology, blurred, unlit, angular, lobulated borders, microcalcifications (punctate calcifications), aspect ratio greater than or equal to 1, no halo, interrupted perineural continuity, steady disorganized blood flow, RI > 0.7. Tl-RADS grading 4-5.  Keywords indicating a high probability of benign nodules in the thyroid ultrasound report A report with the following statements indicates a high probability of not being cancerous (benign): clear margins, intact borders, cystic/cystic predominance, crestal fossa-like structures, hyperechoic/homogeneous echogenicity/posterior echogenic enhancement of the nodule, coarse calcification/circular calcification, concentrated gliosis (comet tail sign), focal fire sea sign. -RADS grading 1-3.  Cervical lymph node metastasis Keywords Regarding the description of cervical lymph nodes, the presence of the following statements should suggest a possible metastatic lymph node: homogeneous hypoechoic, long diameter/short diameter ratio <2, loss of lymphatic structures, fusion of multiple lymph nodes.