"Hypoechoic triangle": a new sonographic sign or marker of advanced XXXX .

@entity1 @entity1375 @entity1669 @entity1955 @entity51 @entity1954 @entity1374
BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography (US) changes have been noted in @entity1 with @entity1669 ( @entity1669 ). Here, we report that some @entity1 with late stage @entity1669 have a distinctive, previously unreported finding on US that we call the "hypoechoic triangle sign" ( @entity51 ). METHODS: On US, the @entity51 sign was characterized as a well-defined area of low echogenicity, about 10   mm in diameter, between the lateral margin of one or both thyroid lobes, the medial wall of the carotid artery, and, posteriorly, the prevertebral muscles. Twenty-six @entity1 with @entity1669 who had the @entity51 sign (Group 1) were compared with 71 @entity1 with @entity1669 who had normal serum thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroid hormones levels (Group 2) and with 154 normal controls (Group 3). TSH was tested at least twice, first as part of their regular clinical care and then in follow-up. The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and body mass index. Thyroid volume by US, TSH, free @entity1954 , free @entity1955 , antithyroid antibodies, and @entity1955 treatment were evaluated. Sonographic gray-scale analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction of @entity51 region were performed in five of the Group 1 @entity1 . RESULTS: Thyroid volume was significantly smaller (p   <   0.01) in Group 1 than in Groups 2 and 3 (6.9        2.18 vs. 10.4        2.1 and 9.8        2.5   mL, respectively). In Group 1, 61.5% of subjects were taking @entity1955 for @entity1375 ; none of the Group 2 or 3 @entity1 was taking thyroid hormone. Serum TSH was significantly higher (p   <   0.01) in Group 1 versus Groups 2 and 3 (3.6        1.3 vs. 2.18        1.4 and 1.9        1.1   mIU/L, respectively). None of the Group 2 or 3 @entity1 had the @entity51 sign. Gray-scale US demonstrated an overlap between @entity51 zone and the surrounding muscle tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The @entity51 sign seems to be specific for overt @entity1374 in @entity1 with @entity1669 as it was not noted in @entity1 with @entity1669 not having overt @entity1374 . The incidental finding of the @entity51 sign during cervical US examination should prompt obtaining thyroid function tests to rule out @entity1375 . Our study provides data regarding specificity but not sensitivity of the @entity51 sign for @entity1669 and @entity1374 because a consecutive group of @entity1669 @entity1 with @entity1374 was not studied. In addition, the specificity of the @entity51 sign for @entity1669 needs to be evaluated further by studying a diverse group of @entity1374 .
