Value of Ultrasonographic Mass Screening for Thyroid Carcinoma in Patients Undergoing a Breast Ultrasonography

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To clarify the value of mass screening for thyroid cancer by ultrasonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the incidence of thyroid nodules and the detection rate of malignant nodules in 2856 patients who underwent screening thyroid ultrasonography while undergoing breast ultrasonography. We also analyzed the ultrasonographic characteristics of nodules in the screening (34 patients) and clinical (48 patients) groups which were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. RESULTS: The incidence of thyroid nodules detected by ultrasonography was 39% and the detection rate of thyroid cancer was 1.19% in the screening group and 17% in the clinical group. The mean size of nodules in clinical group was larger than that in the screening group (p<0.05) and the prevalence of nodules with ill-defined margin in the screening group was higher than that in the clinical group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in internal echogenicity, shape, presence of internal calcifications, lymph node metastasis and extrathyroidal extension between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Although the incidence of thyroid cancer was low, sonographic screening for thyroid cancer while undergoing breast ultrasonography could be valuable.