Journal List > J Korean Endocr Soc > v.22(2) > 1003350

Kim, Park, Kim, Lee, Cho, Jang, Lee, Seo, Kwon, and Chung: Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules Detected by Ultrasonography in Adult Men Attending Health Check-ups

Abstract

Background

Thyroid nodules are a common disease in clinical practice. The prevalence of thyroid nodules has recently been increased by according to the development of thyroid ultrasonography. Thyroid nodules are more commonly found in women, but the potential for malignant nodules is much higher in men. So, we aimed to focus on the prevalence of thyroid nodules in the adult male population.

Methods

We studied men over the age of 30 who visited our health care center for routine health check-ups from January, 2005 to December, 2005. After excluding the patients with previous thyroid disorders, 1081 men were selected to undergo thyroid ultrasonography for detecting the presence of thyroid nodules. If nodules were found, then their size and numbers were recorded. These data were then correlated with the age of the patients. If needed, ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration was performed.

Results

Among the 1,081 subjects, thyroid nodules were detected in 152 (14.1%) with its prevalence increasing with the increasing age of the patients (age 30 to 49: 12.3%, over 50: 17.2%, P = 0.026). Among these study subjects, nodules larger than 5 mm in size were detected in 99 patients and fine needle aspirations were performed on 53 of these patients. Six patients were diagnosed with papillary carcinoma.

Conclusion

The prevalence of thyroid nodules in the male population was 14.1%, with an increasing prevalence in the over 50 age group.

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Prevalence of nodules by age
jkes-22-112-i001

n; number of person who were undergone thyroid ultrasonography.

Table 2
Multinodularity of nodules by age
jkes-22-112-i002
Table 3
The size of nodules by age
jkes-22-112-i003

References

1. Vander JB, Gaston EA, Dawber TR. The significance of nontoxic thyroid nodules. Final report of a 15-year study of the incidence of thyroid malignancy. Ann Intern Med. 1968. 69:537–540.
2. Burguera B, Gharib H. Thyroid incidentalomas. Prevalence, diagnosis, significance and management. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2000. 29:187–203.
3. Wang C, Crapo LM. The epidemiology of thyroid disease and implications for screening. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1997. 26:189–218.
4. Brander A, Viikinkoski P, Nickels J, Kivisaari L. Thyroid gland: US screening in a random adult population. Radiology. 1991. 181:683–687.
5. Horlocker TT, Hay JE, James EM, Reading CC, Charboneau JW. Medeiros-Neto G, Gaitan E, editors. Prevalnce of incidental nodular thyroid disease detected by high-resolution parathyroid ultrasonography. Frontiers in thyroidology. 1985. vol 2. New York: Plenum Medical;1309–1312.
6. Schlesinger MJ, Gargill SL, Saxe IH. Studies in nodular goiter: incidence of thyroid nodules in routine necropsies in nongoitrous region. JAMA. 1938. 110:1638.
7. Yim CH, Chung H-K, Kim WB, Park DJ, Kim SY, Cho BY, Lee HK. Prevalence of Thyroid Cancer in Patients with Cold Thyroid Nodules in Relation to Sex, Age, And Multinodularity. J Kor Soc Endocrinol. 1998. 13:366–372.
8. Park HY, Lee SY, Kim WB, Kim SY, Cho BY, Lee HK, Koh C-S. A study on the urinary iodine excretion in normal subjects and patients with thyroid disease. J Kor Soc Endocrinol. 1995. 10:386–394.
9. Ham SY, Park CY, Oh YH, Kim JH, Cha IH, Seo WH. Sonographic findings of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. J Kor Soc Ultrasound Med. 1990. 9:69–73.
10. Kim KR, Hong HS, Seo KW, Jung MS, Lee HK, Kwon KH, Choi DL, Yoo MH. Correlation of color doppler image and thyroid function test in diffuse goiter. J Korean Radiol Soc. 1996. 35:679–683.
11. Gutman PD, Henry M. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the thyroid Clin La. Med. 1998. 18:461–482.
12. Hooft L, Hoekstra OS, Boers M, Van Tulder MW, Van Diest P, Lips P. Practice, efficacy, and costs of thyroid nodule evaluation: a retrospective study in a dutch university hospital. Thyroid. 2004. 14:287–293.
13. Yim CH, Oh HJ, Chung HY, Han KO, Jang HC, Yoon HK, Han IK, Han BH, Lee KS, Cho BJ. Prevalence of thyroid nodules detected by ultrasonography in womens attending health check-ups. J Kor Soc Endocrinol. 2002. 17:183–188.
14. Suk JH, Kim TY, Kim MK, Kim WB, Kim HK, Jeon SH, Shong YK. Prevalence of ultrasonographically -detected thyroid nodules in adults without previous history of thyroid disease. J Kor Endocrinol Soc. 2006. 21:389–393.
15. Mazzaferri EL. Thyroid cancer in thyroid nodules: finding a needle in the haystack. Am J Med. 1992. 93:359–362.
16. Millman B, Pellitteri PK. Nodular thyroid disease in children and adolescents. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997. 116:604–609.
17. Raab SS, Silverman JF, Elsheikh TM, Thomas PA, Wakely PE. Pediatric throid nodules: disease demographics and clinical management as determined by fine needle aspiration biopsy. Pediatrics. 1995. 95:46–49.
18. Mazzaferri EL. Management of a solitary thyroid nodule. N Engl J Med. 1993. 328:553–559.
19. Mazzaferri EL, de los Santos ET, Rofagha Keyhani S. Solitary thyroid nodule: diagnosis and management. Med Clin North Am. 1988. 72:1177–1211.
20. Koong SS, Shin SH, Yoo MH, Lee MC, Cho BY, Koh C-S, Lee MH. Differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules -applicationn of aspiration cytology. J Kor Med Assoc. 1984. 27:443–450.
21. Rojeski MT, Gharib H. Nodular thyroid disease. Evaluation and management. N Engl J Med. 1985. 313:428–436.
22. Danese D, Sciacchitano S, Farsetti A, Andreoli M, Pontecorvi A. Diagnostic accuracy of conventional versus sonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules. Thyroid. 1998. 8:15–21.
23. Hagag P, Strauss S, Weiss M. Role of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy in evaluation of nonpalpable thyroid nodules. Thyroid. 1998. 8:989–995.
24. Hegedus L. Thyroid ultrasound. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2001. 30:339–360.
25. Belfiore A, La Rosa GL, La Porta GA, Giuffrida D, Milazzo G, Lupo L, Regalbuto C, Vigneri R. Cancer risk in patients with cold thyroid nodules: relevance of iodine intake, sex, age, and multinodularity. Am J Med. 1992. 93:363–369.
TOOLS
Similar articles