Thyroid ultrasound is a non-invasive examination that utilizes ultrasound energy to visualize thyroid abnormalities in the form of images.

During the examination, you simply lie calmly on the examination bed. The healthcare professional will apply gel to the skin of your neck and use an ultrasound probe to thoroughly examine your thyroid and neck. The examination typically takes around ten minutes.

Thyroid ultrasound can provide the following information to assist doctors in clinical diagnosis:

1. Size of both thyroid lobes
2. Location, shape, size, internal content, echogenicity (reflectivity of ultrasound waves), calcifications, surrounding blood vessels, and blood flow of thyroid lesions. This information helps doctors differentiate the nature of the lesions, such as simple cysts, nodules, hemorrhagic cysts, and even the possibility of malignant tumors.
3. Size, distribution, and swelling of neck lymph nodes
4. Complications related to thyroid enlargement, such as narrowing of the trachea or extension behind the clavicle.
5. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration: Helps doctors locate the lesion for easy sampling of cells using a fine needle for further testing.