ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the value of color doppler ultrasound examination of thyroid in occupational health care of radiation-exposed physicians.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and thirty-four radiation-exposed physicians (observation group) and sixty-eight non-radiation-exposed physicians (control group) received color doppler ultrasound examination of thyroid using ALOKA SSD-4000 color doppler ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the results were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The anteroposterior diameters of the left lobe, right lobe, and isthmus of the thyroid in the observation group were significantly larger than those in the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly larger internal diameters and peak blood flow velocities during systole of the right superior thyroid artery (P < 0.05, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in detection rates of thyroid nodules and lymph nodes between the observation group and the control group (18.7% vs 13.2%, P > 0.05; 6.7% vs 1.5%, P > 0.05). The radiation-exposed physicians were exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation with a dose between 0.14 and 1.67 mSv/a.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The color doppler ultrasound examination of the thyroid can detect early changes in the thyroid of radiation-exposed physicians exposed to long-term and low-dose ionizing radiation.</p>