Ultrasound of the thyroid gland in children is an imaging method that is often the first choice in complementing the diagnosis of diagnosed hormonal disorders, e.g. hypothyroidism. Hormonal disorders in children negatively affect their development. Ultrasound of the thyroid gland is helpful in determining the cause of these disorders in terms of morphology - an ultrasound doctor may recognize, for example, incomplete education of the thyroid gland or its atypical location.
An ultrasound scan is safe for your baby and easily accessible. The thyroid ultrasound can be repeated freely without exposing the child to any complications.
Make an appointment now - to the doctor who performs the ultrasound of the child's thyroid in our hospital
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The use of ultrasound of the thyroid gland in children
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) - a hormone secreted by the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can cause underdevelopment of the nervous system and lower a child's intelligence quotient (IQ). Causes of hypothyroidism include birth defects, genetic disorders, iodine deficiency or excess, and autoimmune diseases.
The diagnosis consists in measuring the level of thyroxine, triiodothyronine and thyrotropin (TSH, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine) in the blood.
Ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland, interchangeably with scintigraphy, allows to differentiate the causes of diagnosed hypothyroidism in children. During an ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland, the doctor may, inter alia, state:
Ectopy, i.e. atypical location of the thyroid gland (most often sublingually)
Agenesis, i.e. failure to develop the thyroid gland,
Hypoplasia is a reduced volume of the thyroid gland which may indicate:
hypopituitarism,
mutation of the receptor for thyrotropin (TSH), i.e. a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to secretory function,
Normal or increased volume of the thyroid gland, which may be associated with:
a temporary state of hypothyroidism,
dyshormonogenesis, i.e. a disturbance in the synthesis of thyroid hormones,
congenital disorders of thyroid hormone metabolism,
abnormalities in the stimulation of receptors activated by thyroid hormones (so-called resistance to thyroid hormones).
The changes described above relate to the so-called congenital hypothyroidism. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment in an infant enables its proper development later in life.
Secondary hypothyroidism in older children and adolescents is most often caused by autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's disease. This disease affects girls more often than boys. Hashimoto's disease can occur in isolation or in conjunction with other autoimmune conditions, such as type I diabetes, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland in adolescents include:
fast fatigue, chronic fatigue, drowsiness,
feeling cold, intolerance to low temperatures,
muscle weakness in the hip and shoulder girdles,
frequent constipation,
pale, rough dry skin,
bradycardia (low heart rate),
delayed puberty,
menstrual disorders in girls.
Lumps on the thyroid gland in children
Lumps on the thyroid gland in children are much less common compared to adults. The lumps can be benign or malignant. The presence of abnormal focal lesions on the thyroid gland in children is associated with a much higher risk of thyroid cancer. Accurate diagnosis is very important. If any suspicious features of a nodule are found in an ultrasound examination, a biopsy is performed, i.e. material for cytological examination.
Factors that increase the risk of thyroid cancer in children include autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland and genetic syndromes such as Cowden's disease and Werner syndrome. Ultrasound of the thyroid gland in children with the above disorders must be performed regularly - the frequency of ultrasound examinations is determined by the pediatric endocrinologist.
What does an ultrasound of the thyroid gland look like in children?
During the examination, the child lies on his back and the doctor places a special ultrasound head on the neck area. The algorithm for ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland in children is the same as in adults - see What does an ultrasound of the thyroid gland look like. In addition to the thyroid gland, your doctor evaluates adjacent lymph nodes and muscles. The Doppler USG function allows for a thorough examination of the blood supply to the thyroid gland.
During the ultrasound examination, it is not necessary to put the child to sleep, as in the case of an MRI scan. Ultrasound examination is completely safe for children and may be repeated many times.
Source:
- Counts D, Varma SK, „Niedoczynność tarczycy u dzieci”, Pediatria po Dyplomie Vol. 14 Nr 2, Kwiecień 2010.
- Hyun Sook Hong, MD, Eun Hye Lee, MD et al. „Ultrasonography of Various Thyroid Diseases in Children and Adolescents” A Pictorial Essay. Korean journal of radiology: official journal of the Korean Radiological Society. (2015):16. 419-429.
- Guille, Jeremy T. et al. “Evaluation and Management of the Pediatric Thyroid Nodule.” The Oncologist 20.1 (2015): 19–27.
Frequently asked questions about ultrasound of a child's thyroid gland:
An ultrasound of the thyroid gland can detect congenital abnormalities in the position of the thyroid gland, poor development of the thyroid gland, signs of inflammation of the thyroid gland or the presence of nodules. The thyroid ultrasound complements the diagnosis of hormonal disorders in children, e.g. hypothyroidism.
The ultrasound examination is based on the emission of ultrasound waves, the operation of which is safe for the child's body. Ultrasound examination can be performed even in newborns and infants. The thyroid ultrasound can be repeated at will, which makes it possible to regularly check the condition of the child's thyroid gland.
