Determination of remnant thyroid volume: comparison of ultrasonography, radioactive iodine uptake and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography, radioactive iodine uptake and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level in predicting the volume of remnant thyroid gland.


METHODS
Sixty-six thyroidectomy patients were divided into two groups according to their functional status, i.e. those operated upon for nontoxic multinodular goitre (group one) and those operated upon for hyperthyroidism (group two). Ultrasonography, radioactive iodine uptake and thyroid-stimulating hormone assay were performed in all patients during the first post-operative month. The two groups were subdivided according to the amount of remnant thyroid volume detected on ultrasonography: <2 ml, 2-5 ml and >5 ml.


RESULTS
The remnant thyroid volume was positively correlated with the radioactive iodine uptake (rs = 0.684, p = 0.0001). The increase in remnant thyroid tissue radioactive iodine uptake was significantly greater in the patients operated upon for hyperthyroidism compared with those operated upon for nontoxic multinodular goitre (p = 0.0001). There was a negative correlation between remnant thyroid volume and post-operative serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level (rs = -0.865, p = 0.0001) and between remnant thyroid tissue radioactive iodine uptake and post-operative serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level (rs = -0.682, p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonography is a more accurate measure of remnant thyroid volume than radioactive iodine uptake in patients operated upon for hyperthyroidism, compared with those operated upon for nontoxic multinodular goitre.
Erbil
Y
Y
Department of General Surgery, Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Turkey. yerbil2003@yahoo.com
Barbaros
U
U
Salmaslioglu
A
A
Issever
H
H
Tukenmez
M
M
Adalet
I
I
Bozbora
A
A
Ozarmagan
S
S
Tezelman
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000601:surgery; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013972:Thyrotropin