J Korean Thyroid Assoc.  2015 May;8(1):8-13. 10.11106/cet.2015.8.1.8.

Postoperative Surveillance of Thyroid Cancer: In View of a Radiologist

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. docjin@yuhs.ac

Abstract

Postoperative surveillance in patients with thyroid cancer is very important for radiologist to help the clinician manage the patient. The role of ultrasound is important but small volume tumor recurrence may not affect survival as well as its treatment may, at times, cause more morbid than its natural disease progression. In this review, I discuss postoperative surveillance in patients with thyroid cancer in the view of a radiologist.

Keyword

Thyroid cancer; Recurrence; Ultrasonography; Surveillance

MeSH Terms

Disease Progression
Humans
Recurrence
Thyroid Neoplasms*
Ultrasonography

Figure

  • Fig. 1. Several suspicious US features suggesting pathologic lymph nodes (arrows). (A) Hyperechogenicity. (B) Round shape. (C) Internal cystic change and calcifications.

  • Fig. 2. Suture granuloma. Ill-defined ovoid hypoechoic nodules (arrows) with multiple internal echogenic foci (A, transverse scan and B, longitudinal scan).

  • Fig. 3. A remnant thyroid tissue. After right thyroidectomy due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a heterogeneous oval hypoechoic lesion (arrows) was seen inferior to the inferior horn of a thyroid cartilage (arrowheads, A, transverse scan and B, longitudinal scan).

  • Fig. 4. A traumatic neuroma. US shows a nodule with oval, heterogeneous, isochoic mass (arrows) with internal hyperechoic strands.


Reference

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