J Korean Radiol Soc.  2002 May;46(5):449-453. 10.3348/jkrs.2002.46.5.449.

Incidentally Found Thyroid Nodules in Women with no Previous Thyroid Disease: Its Significance

• Kim EK
• Park CS
• Chung WY
• Oh KK
• Lee JT
• Yoo HS

• KMID: 2200179
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.2002.46.5.449

Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine the prevalence of thyroid nodules discovered incidentally at ultrasonography and to reassess their significance.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During a six-month period and using a high-frequency transducer, 1033 subjects with suspected breast disease underwent a prospective study of the thyroid. We determined the prevalence of thyroid nodules according to age, and the malignancy rate.
RESULTS
Focal thyroid nodules were detected in 291 women (28.2%), their prevalence increasing with age (p<0.01). The nodules, totalling 337, were single in 260 cases (89.3%) and multiple in 31 (10.7%); 271 were less than 1 cm in diameter, 53 were 1-2 cm, and 13 were more than 2 cm [mean, 7.1(range, 2-34) mm]; 126 (37.4%) were pure cysts, 62 (18.4%) were mixed, and 149 (44.2%) were solid. Of the 149 solid nodules, 139 were hypoechoic. Eighty women (with 106 nodules) underwent fine-needle aspiration bipsy, and 35 (with 45 nodules) underwent surgery. It was discovered, finally, that 29 women (2.8%) had 35 malignancies, of which 33 were papillary carcinomas and two were carcinomas which had metastasized from a breast malignancy. Eleven women (37.9%) had extrathyroidal invasion and 6 (20.7%) had cervical lymph node metastasis despite incidentaloma.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of incidentally found thyroid nodules was 28.2%. Since the malignancy rate of these was relatively high, at 10.4%, the clinical significance of this finding should be reassessed.

Keyword

Thyroid, US; Thyroid, neoplasms; Thyroid, biopsy

MeSH Terms

Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Breast
Breast Diseases
Carcinoma, Papillary
Female
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Thyroid Diseases*
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Nodule*
Transducers
Ultrasonography