Diverse Endophytic Microflora of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. Literature review current through: Nov 2017. | This topic last updated: Mar 30, 2017. INTRODUCTION — Although ultrasonography yields limited diagnostic information, it provides many highly valuable clinical insights that, when taken together, assemble exceedingly useful and pertinent information. This cumulative ultrasonography evidence, in context, can significantly augment diagnosis and clinical, surgical, radiation, ablation, and other management. High among the merits of ultrasonography is enhanced sampling of thyroid cells and tissues for cytological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic investigation in conjunction with fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Ultrasonography also offers insights into aspects of physiology and epidemiology. Current methods of ultrasonography permit "real-time" identification of structures as small as 2 mm in diameter, thereby allowing the visualization of very small tumors of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. These methods also permit estimates of overall and regional blood flow to the thyroid. However, the results of thyroid ultrasonography do not correlate perfectly with histopathologic findings. Although the cost effectiveness of ultrasonography in solving patient-specific clinical problems has not been formally tested, ultrasonography, used judiciously, helps to answer important clinical questions in specific patients. At present, ultrasonography is considered useful in the following situations: