Thyroid structural changes: results of a screening ultrasound study of a Moscow population

Abstract

То assess the prevalence and pattern of thyroid disease in Moscow, a mild iodine-deficiency area, the authors examined a random sample of 1103 individuals (1004 females and 99 males) during 14 months. The examinees' age ranged from 17 to 80 years; the mean age was 36.7±14.05; median was 37 years. The survey involved a physical examination with thyroid palpation, brief history data collection, and thyroid ultrasound study on a "Mysono"portable apparatus with a 7.5-MHz linear transducer, operating on a real-time basis. Among the examinees the echographic signs of these or those thyroid changes were found in 36% of cases. The most common abnormalities were focal thyroid tissue changes, whose prevalence was 12.4%. Thyroid nodular masses were encountered at a slightly less frequency (10.5%). Of them, nodular and multinodular goiter accounted for 6 and 4.5%, respectively. The third group of changes is presented by a diffuse decrease in thyroid tissue echogenicity (9%). Diffuse goiter was less frequently identified; its frequency was 5%. A minor proportion (0.1%) of the examinees had a history of operations for this or that thyroid disease.