title: Sonographic evaluation of children with congenital hypothyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish benchmarks and study some sonographic characteristics of the thyroid gland in a group of euthyroid children aged up to 5 years as compared with age-matched children with congenital hypothyroidism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six children (17 female and 19 male) aged between 2 months and 5 years were divided into two groups - 23 euthyroid children and 13 children with congenital hypothyroidism - and were called to undergo ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group of euthyroid children (n = 23), mean total volume of the thyroid gland was 1.12 mL (minimum, 0.39 mL; maximum, 2.72 mL); a homogeneous gland was found in 17 children (73.91%) and 6 children (26.08%) had a heterogeneous gland. In the group of children with congenital hypothyroidism (n = 13), mean total volume of the thyroid gland was 2.73 mL (minimum, 0.20 mL; maximum, 11.00 mL). As regards thyroid location, 3 patients (23.07%) had ectopic thyroid, and 10 (69.23%) had topic thyroid, and out of the latter, 5 had a homogeneous gland (50%) and 5, a heterogeneous gland (50%). In the group with congenital hypothyroidism, 6 (46.15%) children had etiological diagnosis of dyshormoniogenesis, 3 (23.07%), of ectopic thyroid, and 4 (30.76%), of thyroid hypoplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thyroid ultrasonography is a noninvasive imaging method, widely available, easy to perform and for these reasons could, and should, be performed at any time, including at birth, with no preparation or treatment discontinuation, to aid in the early etiological definition of congenital hypothyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Physician on duty at Hospital São Marcos de Uberaba, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anelise de Almeida
authors.initials: Ade A
authors.lastname: Sedassari
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Ronan Marquez Ferreira
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: MD, Resident in Medical Practice at Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (Unesp), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nathalie de Almeida
authors.initials: Nde A
authors.lastname: Sedassari
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor (Level IV), Service of Endocrinology, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Master, MD, Service of Pediatric Endocrinology and Genetics, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heloisa Marcelina da Cunha
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Palhares
authors.affiliation: MD, Radiologist, Graduate Student degree of Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Genésio Borges
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: de Andrade Neto
keywords: Congenital hypothyroidism; Main diagnosis; Ultrasonography