title: Thyrolipomas - Prevalence in Computed Tomography and Suggestions for Pragmatic Management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyrolipomas seem to be a rare occurrence and until now their prevalence has only been reported in two studies. Because of the known significant geographic variations of thyroid disease, generalizability of these findings is uncertain as well as the management of found thyrolipomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 107 computed tomography scans of the chest of a European inpatient population. A literature review was performed and considerations for pragmatic management were proposed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thyrolipomas were found in 2.8% of patients. All thyrolipomas were smaller than 15 mm. In all patients these were incidental findings unrelated to patients symptoms. No secondary signs of malignancy could be detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thyrolipomas are a common finding on cross sectional imaging. Like in this study they seem to be incidental findings lacking clinical relevance. Because of the rare possibility of an thyroid cancer with inclusion of mature fat, sonographic follow-up of incidentally discovered thyrolipomas larger than 15 mm should be suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Göttingen-Weende, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gossner
keywords: Cross-Sectional Studies; Decision Support Systems, Management; Lipoma; Tomography, Spiral Computed