Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the avail­ability and the effects of differential diagnosis of thyroid gland morphological changes and blood flow patterns in patients with thyrotoxic phase Graves’ disease (BGD) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) by color flow doppler ul­trasonography (CDUS).
Methods: This cross-sectional study was included 24 consecutive patients with thyrotoxicosis and 18 healthy controls. There were Basedow-Graves’ disease in 17 and Hashimoto thyroiditis in 7 of previously untreated 24 pa­tients. Morphological information of thyroid gland was ob­tained by B-mode ultrasonography in all cases. Blood flow pattern of the thyroid gland was determined by CDUS.
Results: The thyroid volumes and FT3, TRAb, 4-h and 24-h RAIU levels of the patients with Graves’s disease were significantly higher than the patients with HT. Whereas thyroid gland echogenicity was decreased in 14 of BGH cases, it was diminished in 2 patients with HT. Significant difference was found between BGD and HT groups in terms of thyroid gland echogenicity. In all pa­tients with BGD and HT, echopattern was heterogenous. In all patients, blood flow patterns of thyroid gland were obtained by CDUS. Color flow doppler ultrasonography and pattern 3 blood flows were only observed in BGD. Significant difference was found between HT and BGD groups in blood flow pattern.
Conclusion: Heterojen echopattern, decreased echo­genicity, volume changes and type 3 blood flow pattern of thyroid gland obtained using B-mode Ultrasound and CDUS may be useful in the determination and differentia­tion of thyrotoxic BGD and HT diseases.