| Abstrakt: |
Background and Aim: Goiter is a major source of morbidity in the world, especially in the developing world, where dietary iodine deficiency, a known cause of this condition, is endemic. The diagnosis is mostly by ultrasonography (USG) scan, which can give anatomical, pathological, and functional information for the management of goiter. This study aimed to determine the commonest ultrasound findings of goiter in Ghana. Method: The records of all 213 patients with goiter diagnosed by USG scan over a 5‐year period were retrieved. Data collected were sociodemographics, ultrasound features, thyroid nodules diameter, and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI‐RADS) scores, which were analyzed using GNU PSPP, version 1.2.0‐3. χ2 and two‐tailed independent samples t‐test were also employed, with p ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 213 patients with goiter diagnosed by USG scan were obtained over the study period. The mean age of the participants was 50.01 ± 17.27 years, with an age range of 16−92 years and females constituting the majority (82.16%). The commonest ultrasound features were well‐defined solid nodules. The lesion sites for most patients were the whole thyroid (28.17%), both lobes (24.41%), and the right lobe (20.19%). The mean difference in sizes of cysts and solid nodules among genders was 0.26 (CI: −0.14 to 0.67, p = 0.20) and 0.12 (CI: −0.43 to 0.66, p = 0.67), respectively. The TI‐RADS score featured TI‐RADS 4 (36.62%), TI‐RADS 1 (28.17%), TI‐RADS 3 (25.82%), TI‐RADS 5 (5.16%), and TI‐RADS 2 (4.23%). Solid nodules (49.32%, p = 0.001) and cysts (35.71%, p = 0.003) were more common within 41−60 years and less frequent in those <21 years. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant in this study. Conclusion: The predominant ultrasound features were well‐defined solid nodules, simple cysts, and solid nodules with cystic changes, mostly located in the entire thyroid gland and least located in the isthmus only. Cysts and solid nodules were mostly seen in the 41−60 years age group. Key points: What is known about this topic Well‐defined solid nodules, simple cysts, and solid nodules with cystic changes were some of the ultrasound features of an enlarged thyroid gland.Lesion sites of an enlarged thyroid gland included the isthmus, left, and right lobes. What this study adds Most patients presenting with enlarged thyroid glands had lesions in the entire thyroid.Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI‐RADS 4) was the most predominant TI‐RADS score, and TI‐RADS 2 was the least.Few patients presented with lesions in the isthmus only, and the majority in the entire thyroid gland.Cysts and solid nodules were mostly seen in those 41−60 years and least in those <21 years. Clinical implications of this study Knowing the locations, types, and sizes of thyroid lesions will aid clinicians in planning appropriate management for the patient.Radiologists should adopt the TI‐RADS lexicon in their reporting of thyroid imaging to enable proper communication amongst themselves and with the clinicians once they are familiar with the TI‐RADS lexicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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