DIAGNOSTIC-IMAGING OF THYROID-CANCER

We compared the clinical usefulness of ultrasonography (US), X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating thyroid masses of 67 patients, including 33 with malignant and 34 with benign lesions. Both US and MRI were sensitive for the detection of thyroid nodules. US was superior to MRI in identifying calcification and liquid components. MRI was superior to US in detecting nodules in adenomatous goiter and lymph node swelling, and in demonstrating pseudocapsules and capsular invasion. These findings indicate that US and MRI are useful for the screening and the characterization of mass lesions, respectively.