Ultrasound diagnosis of the parathyroid glands changes during the clinical examination

Within the planned ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland during the clinical examination, an assessment was made of the detection of extrathyroid formations, correlated by topography with a probable lesion of the parathyroid glands, in 778 men (age 65.30±19.54 years) and 556 women (67.55±11.03 years). In 10 and 11 patients (1.72% of all examined), focal changes were visualized in interest (without significant gender differences, p=0.75) – variants of the echographic picture: a classic formation occupying the entire volume (n=12; dimensions 12.2±6.06 mm) or a part (n=8; 5.1±1.52 mm) of the parathyroid gland (p=0.0048), as well as «mimicry» of the affected organ (n=4; 6.83±1.47 mm). When compared with the results of laboratory data (concentration of parathyroid hormone/total calcium), the relationship was determined arbitrarily in ¹/₃ of the cases. The rest showed «dissociation» between the methods of correlation (r=0). Despite the high resolution of ultrasound examination in determining focal changes located paratracheally and paraesophageally at the poles of the thyroid gland, a targeted search for changes in the parathyroid glands during a planned ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland is inappropriate both because of the ambiguity of the data got in the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism, and distracting the attention of a specialist from paramount task.