Thyroid ultrasound in Slavuta

What happens during a thyroid ultrasound

No special preparation is needed: you can have breakfast, drink water and take your usual medicines, including thyroid hormones or iodine. You lie on your back on the couch. A small cushion may be placed under your shoulders so your head tilts back a little and your neck is easier to see. The doctor puts gel on your neck and moves the probe over the front of it. The pressure of the probe may feel a little strange, but the scan doesn’t hurt.

The doctor measures the lobes of the gland and the isthmus, works out its volume and assesses its structure. If there are nodules, the doctor describes each one: size, outline, structure and any calcifications. If needed, the doctor also checks the lymph nodes in your neck. The polyclinic also does separate ultrasounds of the lymph nodes and salivary glands.

Ultrasound uses no X-ray radiation, so a thyroid ultrasound can be done during pregnancy and for children too, if a doctor has ordered it.

What the scan shows and what to do about a nodule

If the gland’s volume is larger than usual, the report will say it’s enlarged. An uneven structure throughout the whole gland is called diffuse changes. This happens, for example, with autoimmune thyroiditis, and then the doctor also looks at your hormone tests and thyroid peroxidase antibodies.

Thyroid nodules are often found by chance, and most of them are benign. Simple fluid-filled cysts and spongiform nodules, made up of many tiny spaces, almost always turn out to be benign. The doctor measures a nodule in three directions, and these measurements later show whether it’s growing. On ultrasound, the doctor looks for the features used to place a nodule in a category, for example on the TI-RADS scale. Ultrasound can’t say for certain whether a nodule is benign. Based on its category and size, the endocrinologist decides whether it’s enough to monitor the nodule with repeat scans or a biopsy is needed. The biopsy is done with a fine needle under ultrasound guidance, and if you need one, the doctor will explain where to have it.

Ultrasound doesn’t show how well the gland works. That takes blood tests: TSH first, with free T4 and antibodies added if needed. You can have hormone tests at the Diagnost-Lab laboratory at 32 Sobornosti St, and they’re paid. For symptoms of an underactive or overactive thyroid and how to prepare for the tests, read our article on thyroid symptoms and tests.

Who to see with the result

Show the ultrasound report and your test results to the Viva Clinic endocrinologist or your family doctor. The endocrinologist sees patients at 27a Sobornosti St or 3 Danyla Halytskoho St, and the exact address is confirmed when you book. Bring your earlier reports too, so the doctor can see whether any nodules have changed since your last scan. If you’ve already been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, the endocrinologist decides how often to repeat the ultrasound and blood tests. They take into account your condition and your previous results.

Thyroid ultrasound is paid. You can have the scan, blood tests and an endocrinologist consultation in Slavuta, without travelling to Khmelnytskyi or Kyiv. The same polyclinic also offers other ultrasounds and diagnostic tests.

See a doctor soon if a lump in your neck is clearly growing. If swallowing becomes difficult, get help the same day, and if you’re struggling to breathe, call an ambulance (103).