INFERIOR THYROID ARTERY DOPPLER: A NEW TOOL IN DIFFERENTIATION OF GRAVE'S DISEASE AND HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS. A NOVEL RADIOLOGICAL-PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION STUDY

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune thyroid diseases are characterized by diffuse involvement of thyroid gland with hypoechogenicity and altered echotexture at gray scale ultrasound being a characteristic feature. An overlap of this pattern in patients affected by Graves' disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Differentiation between causes of thyrotoxicosis at time of diagnosis, either hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease or destructive thyrotoxicosis due to thyroiditis, is very important as management of each is completely different. Comparison of Doppler indices Aims and Objectives: in patients of Diffuse thyroid disease ( Graves' and Hashimoto's) on ultrasound with normal study population. Participants w Material & Methods ere recruited in the ultrasound unit at the Victoria hospital, Bangalore medical college and research institute. We conducted a prospective study on a group of 20 Normal individuals and 40 patients with Diffuse thyroid disease on Ultrasonography (20 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 20 cases of Graves disease). The thyroid glands of all patients were evaluated by gray scale ultrasonography for size, shape and echotexture. Color-ow Doppler ultrasonography of the thyroid tissue was performed and spectral ow analysis of both inferior thyroid arteries was assessed. Inferior thyroid artery Doppler parameters were calculated in all patients. Mean PSV of normal indivi Results duals was 16.4. Hashimoto's patients who had their mean PSV was 36.2 and Graves patients who had their mean PSV 86.4. On applying unpaired t test, the two tailed p value was less than 0.05 (0.001 and 0.0001 respectively), which found statistically highly signicant. The comparison of Doppler indices of Hashimotos disease and Graves diseases - On applying unpaired t test, the two tailed p value was less than 0.05 (0.0001) which was found statistically highly signicant. Blood Conclusion ow is a useful marker in initial diagnosis of diffuse thyroid. The high correlation between Doppler indices with pathological diagnosis establishes this modality as an acceptable alternative to Nuclear imaging. Its role in pregnancy and lactation where nuclear imaging is contraindicated needs to be emphasised.