Thyroid Ultrasound in Autoimmune Thyroiditis Diagnosis and Management

Rationale for Ultrasound Evaluation

Ultrasound is the preferred first-line imaging modality for evaluating thyroid disease and can identify suspicious features in nodules including microcalcifications, irregular borders, and central hypervascularity, as recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American College of Radiology 1, 2

Any identified nodules should be evaluated using established risk stratification criteria for determining need for fine-needle aspiration, as suggested by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 1
Ultrasound cannot definitively distinguish between benign and malignant nodules without tissue diagnosis—suspicious features warrant fine-needle aspiration regardless of autoimmune thyroiditis diagnosis, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American College of Radiology 1, 2