Evaluation of the role of ultrasonography in diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis in goitrous children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of thyroid ultrasound in children with autoimmune thyroiditis diagnosed either on cytopathology or by the presence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies.


METHODS
Children presenting for the first time to the Thyroid Clinic at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences for the complaint of goiter over a two year period (January 2005-December 2006) were studied.


METHODS
695 school children (244 boys and 451 girls) aged 5-18 year were studied.


METHODS
Children were subjected to thyroid ultrasound, cytopathology, thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroid function tests.


RESULTS
Overall, 16% of goitrous children had hypoechogenicity on ultrasound, 15.2% had cytopathological evidence of thyroiditis, 10.6% had positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies and 25.2% had abnormal thyroid function tests. Subjects with hypoechogenicity had higher percentage of thyroiditis on cytopathology (41.4% vs. 10.3%; P<0.01), thyroid peroxidase antibody positivity (30.6% vs. 6.8%; P<0.01) and thyroid dysfunction (46.8% vs. 21.2%; P<0.01) than those with normal echogenicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid USG has a useful, though limited, role in excluding thyroid disease in children. The sensitivity of echogenicity for the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis in children is less than that reported in adults.
Marwaha
R K
RK
Department of Endocrinology and Thyroid Research Center, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied ciences, Timarpur, Delhi 110 054, India. Marwaha_Raman@hotmail.com
Tandon
N
N
Kanwar
Ratnesh
R
Ganie
M Ashraf
MA
Bhattacharya
V
V
Reddy
D H K
DH
Gopalakrishnan
Sripathy
S
Aggarwal
R
R
Grewal
Khushi
K
Ganguly
S K
SK
Mani
Kalaivani
K
D000293:Adolescent; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007453:Iodide Peroxidase