The thyroid gland and ultrasound applications

Abstract

Ultrasound is widely used worldwide. It has a variety of transducers of different shape and sizes that has allowed it to be used in different parts of the human body. There is a current growing demand for its usage in head and neck. Due to its ease of use and cost-effectiveness, ultrasound has become a popular primary diagnostic imaging modality. Thyroid ultrasonography is commonly used to diagnose pathology. It is very effective and very useful in comparison to many other cross-sectional imaging. It is in real-time, fast, safe, and cost-effective way to image the thyroid gland and its pathology. The thyroid is well suited to ultrasound study because of its superficial location, vascularity, size, and echogenicity. This chapter discusses the method of performing basic thyroid ultrasonography and important features to assess thyroid pathologies in a pictorial review format.