title: Pre- and posttreatment ultrasonography of the thyroid gland in hyperthyroid cats.
abstract: Ultrasonography is useful for assessing the morphology of the thyroid gland in hyperthyroid cats. Our aim was to describe the ultrasonographic changes of the thyroid gland in hyperthyroid cats after 131I therapy. Ultrasonography was performed in 15 hyperthyroid cats at initial presentation and 6 months after 131I using a multifrequency linear transducer set at 12 MHz. The following criteria were evaluated: length, width, height, volume, shape, homogeneity, and vascularity, using Power Doppler. Pretreatment, 10 cats had bilaterally abnormal thyroid lobes, four cats one abnormal lobe with the contralateral lobe being normal or reduced in size, and one cat with one normal lobe and one lobe not visible. Six months after 131I therapy, there was a reduction in median volume from 819 to 210 mm3, reduced rounding, reduced heterogeneity, and decreased vascularity. In conclusion, ultrasonography may be used to monitor thyroid changes in order to assess 131I treatment response. Further studies are necessary to determine whether ultrasonography could contribute to the detection of a relapsing course of hyperthyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barberet
authors.forename: Yseult
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baeumlin
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taeymans
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duchateau
authors.forename: Kathelijne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peremans
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Hoek
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daminet
authors.forename: Jimmy H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Saunders
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002415:Cats; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes