Role of thyroidography in diagnosis of thyroid enlargement

ABSTRACT

Thyroidography, although being in invasive technique yet, is safe, trouble free procedure and easily tolerable by patient with no need of premedication. One hundred patients complaining of thyroid enlargement were examined by this technique. Thyroidography provides not only opacification and visualization of the thyroid parenchyma, but also regional lymph nodes. It gives good idea about the morphological anatomy of the gland, detection of retrosternal and retropharyngeal extension of goitre, detection of additional subclinical modules, differentiation between benign and malignant lesions and differentiation between solid and cystics swellings. Early toxicity and early malignant thyroid changes, in addition to visualization of the draining lymph nodes, even if clinically free, can be determined by this method of examination