DUPLEX SONOGRAPHY IN FUNCTIONAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE THYROID-GLAND

Purpose: Assessment of the functional diagnostic value of Doppler sono graphic or sonographic parameters, es pecially of the peak flow veloci ty in the inferior thyroid artery in patients with newly manifest auto immunothyroiditis. Material and method: Morphological and Doppler sono graphic measurements were done at the inferior thyroid artery on 69 pa tients suffering from newly manifest Graves' disease or Hashimoto's th yroiditis, as well as on a control group of 18 subjects. The measured data were correlated with thyroid hormone levels and with quantitative scintiscanning. Results: A linear functional correlation was found be tween the peak flow velocities in the inferior thyroid artery and the fT3 or fT4 level. If the peak flow velocities were greater than 1.2 m/ s, hyperthyroid metabolism prevailed, whereas at velocities below 0.3 m/s latent hypothyroidism was present. Conclusion: These results show that Doppler sonography of the inferior thyroid artery can supply poin ters (capable of being recorded) to the state of functioning of the th yroid even before knowing the laboratory parameters.