Thyroid and parathyroid ultrasound

This chapter reviewed the possible roles of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of thyroid and parathyroid pathology. With the advent of high- resolution ultrasound, this modality is increasingly used for characterization of thyroid nodules, for preoperative localization of parathyroid pathology, and as a guide for needle aspiration biopsy. Advantages include real-time imaging, low cost, no radiation exposure, noninvasiveness, and brief examination time. When required to guide FNA, it can provide additional information regarding the patient's disease process. Further developments of this modality may benefit patients with thyroid and parathyroid pathology by improving the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis, thereby decreasing the morbidity of surgical exploration.