Skip to main content
Log in

Sonographic tissue characterisation in thyroid gland diagnosis

A correlation between sonography and histology

  • Originalien
  • Published:
Klinische Wochenschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Punch biopsy was carried out in 32 cases in which thyroid gland changes were sonographically classified as being of homogeneously normal or of homogeneously low echogenicity. Mean follicle lumen size was morphometrically determined from the histological sections. This produced a significant, positive correlation between echogenicity and follicle size. The mean follicle lumen diameter in so-called echonormal structures was 67 µm (SD±23 µm), and (SD±8 µm) in low-echogenic lesions. Thus normal echogenicity represented a normofollicular or macrofollicular structure, while a low echogenicity pattern indicated a microfollicular or solid tissue structure. The structure of thyroid carcinomas is not homogeneously normofollicular or macrofollicular; in exceptional cases they are such only focally. Therefore the significance of these findings lies in the exclusion of malignancy in the event of homogeneously normal echogenicity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

SD:

standard deviation

References

  1. Becker W, Reiners Chr, Wiedemann W, Schäffer R, Börner W (1984) Sonographie bei diffuser Hyperthyreose: sind immunogene Formen differenzierbar? Klinikarzt 13:920–932

    Google Scholar 

  2. Benson DM, Rifkin MD, Rose JL, Goldberg BB (1983) Characterisation of benign and malignant tissues of the thyroid gland — an ultrasonic approach using RF waveform analysis and pattern recognition. Invest Radiol 18:459–462

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chivers RC (1981) Tissue Characterization. Ultrasound Med Biol 7:1–20

    Google Scholar 

  4. Habermehl A, Hackelöer BJ (1983) Physikalische und technische Grundlagen der Sonographie. Dtsch Ärztebl 41:35–48

    Google Scholar 

  5. Held P, Nickel O (1984) Rechnerunterstützte Auswertung von Ultraschallbildern der Schilddrüse. Fortschr Röntgenstr 141/2:185–191

    Google Scholar 

  6. Katz JF, Kane RA, Reyes J, Clarke MP, Hill ThC (1984) Thyroid Nodules: Sonographic-Pathologic Correlation. Radiology 151:741–745

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kremer H (1982) Sonographische Diagnostik innerer Erkrankungen. Urban und Schwarzenberg, München Wien Baltimore

  8. LoGerfo P, Feind C, Weber C, Ting W (1983) The incidence of carcinoma in encapsulated follicular thyroid lesions diagnosed by large needle biopsy. Surgery 94:1008–1013

    Google Scholar 

  9. Maier R, Pfannenstiel P, Adam W, Hirsch H, Stein N, Utech Chr (1981) Sonographische Strukturen bei Autoimmunerkrankungen der Schilddrüse. Intern Welt 10:422–427

    Google Scholar 

  10. Maier R (1984) Ultraschalldiagnostik der Schilddrüse. Schattauer, Stuttgart New York

    Google Scholar 

  11. Müller HW, Supra R (1984) Case of the Month. J Ultras Med 7:R77 and R84

    Google Scholar 

  12. Müller HW, Schröder S, Böcker W, Schneider C (1985) Sonographisch geführte Feinstanzbiopsie der Schilddrüse. Dtsch med Wochenschr 11/168–174

    Google Scholar 

  13. Petzoldt R, Lutz H, Ehler R, Petzholdt M, Regler G, Spielmann F, Wopfner F (1978) Sonographische Differenzierung kalter Schilddrüsenbezirke. Diagnostik 11:461–464

    Google Scholar 

  14. Schröder S, Schmiegelow P, Müller HW, Dietel M, Böcker W (1985) Morphologische Analyse von Feinstanzbiopsien der Schilddrüse — Methodenspektrum, Diagnostische Kriterien, Aussagewert. Pathologe 6:80–87

    Google Scholar 

  15. Simeone JF, Daniels GH, Mueller PR, Maloof F, van Sonnenberg E, Hall DA, O'Connell R, Ferrucci JT, Wittenberg J (1982) High-resolution real-time sonography of the thyroid. Radiology 145:431–435

    Google Scholar 

  16. Thijssen JM, Nicholas D (1982) Ultrasonic Tissue Characterisation. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague Boston London

    Google Scholar 

  17. Wiedemann W, Reiners Chr (1982) Die Differentialdiagnose des echoarmen Knotens der Schilddrüse. Dtsch med Wochenschr 107:85–91

    Google Scholar 

  18. Wiedemann W, Baum K, Reiners Chr, Börner W (1982) Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Schilddrüsensonographie bei der Diagnostik des Schilddrüsenmalignoms. Fortschr Röntgenstr 137:247–362

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Müller, H.W., Schröder, S., Schneider, C. et al. Sonographic tissue characterisation in thyroid gland diagnosis. Klin Wochenschr 63, 706–710 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733114

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733114

Key words

Navigation