COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY - ANATOMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE THYROID

The purpose of this study was to assess the potential application of c olor Doppler sonography in thyroid imaging. Thyroid nodules and other thyroid pathology detected by color Doppler ultrasound and nuclear sci ntigraphy were compared in 115 patients. The majority of ''cold'' nodu les demonstrated a peripheral rim of color flow and no internal color flow with color Doppler sonography. A large number of ''hot'' nodules demonstrated internal color flow. Color Doppler sonography was helpful in delineating nodules in otherwise inhomogeneous glands. We determin ed that color Doppler cannot reliably distinguish benign from malignan t thyroid nodules; fine-needle aspiration biopsy remains the most accu rate method in differentiating benign and malignant lesions. We sugges t that color Doppler sonography plays only a limited role in the evalu ation of nodular thyroid disease at this time. The color Doppler appea rance of other thyroid disorders (including toxic multinodular goiter, Graves' disease, and thyroiditis) is discussed. (C) 1995 John Wiley a nd Sons, Inc.