title: Primary thyroid lymphoma: role of ultrasound-guided needle biopsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic findings of primary thyroid lymphoma and evaluate the role of ultrasound-guided biopsy in diagnosing thyroid lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 6 patients (age range, 56-72 years; mean, 62.5 years). We searched the database of our institution and retrospectively collected data on the thyroid lymphomas that were confirmed pathologically. All of the sonograms and medical records were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 6 patients had an enlarged neck mass and underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The most notable sonographic feature of primary thyroid lymphoma was a marked hypoechoic mass compared with the residual thyroid tissue. Among the 6 patients with a diagnosis of thyroid lymphoma, 3 (50%) had a diagnosis of lymphoma by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Final pathologic results were obtained by ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (3/6 patients [50%]) or thyroidectomy (3/6 [50%]). Most patients with thyroid lymphoma (5/6 [83.3%]) were found to have diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and were treated with chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. In 1 patient with follicular lymphoma, diagnosis and treatment were accomplished by total thyroidectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy can be a safe and accurate method for diagnosing thyroid lymphoma and may be a suitable replacement for diagnostic thyroid surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, 134 Sinchondong, Seodaemungu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Woo Ik
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Ki Keun
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Ki Whang
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*