Authors: T Rago L Chiovato F AghiniLombardi L Grasso A Pinchera Paolo Vitti
Publish Date: 2014/03/11
Volume: 24, Issue: 10, Pages: 770-776
Abstract
Thyroid ultrasonography was performed in 482 subjects free of known thyroid disease and living in a borderline iodinesufficient urban area to assess the prevalence of nonpalpable thyroid nodules and evaluation their evolute during a 3yr followup The mean ±SD thyroid volume in the whole study group was 109±37 ml and was higher in males 129±36 ml than in females 92±29 ml p00001 Thyroid volume was correlated with body surface height and weight while no correlation was present with lean and fat body mass Goiter was found in 5/256 females and in 13/226 males Thyroid nodules were found in 27/482 subjects 18 females 9 males Single nodules were found in 17/464 subjects 366 with a thyroid gland of normal volume and in 4/18 subjects 222 with goiter χ2=1021 p=0001 Multiple nodules were found in 3/464 subjects 06 with a thyroid of normal volume and in 3/18 166 subjects with goiter χ2=2431 p00001 The prevalence of thyroid nodules was significantly higher in females 35 yr than in those 34 yr χ2=747 p=00062 A significant increase 30 of nodular volume was found in 5 subjects while an increased number of nodules was found in 8 In conclusion thyroid ultrasonography reveals the presence of thyroid nodules in a significant proportion of apparently thyroid diseasefree subjects living in a borderline iodinesufficient urban area Incidentally discovered thyroid nodules are associated with goiter and are likely to progress in volume and number
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