rss
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2002;87:F209-F211 doi:10.1136/fn.87.3.F209
  • Original article

Ultrasound of the thyroid gland in the newborn: normative data

  1. R J Perry1,
  2. A S Hollman2,
  3. A M Wood3,
  4. M D C Donaldson1
  1. 1Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
  2. 2Department of Radiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children
  3. 3Department of Research and Development, Royal Hospital for Sick Children
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr Perry, Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, Scotland, UK;
    rebjperry{at}hotmail.com
  • Accepted 14 May 2002

Abstract

Objective: To establish reference ranges for thyroid length, breadth, depth, and volume in healthy term Scottish infants.

Design: Prospective observational study of 100 (49 male) neonates. Length, breadth, and depth were measured, and the volume of each lobe was calculated using the formula for a prolate ellipsoid (volume = length × breadth × depth × π/6).

Results: All measurements showed gaussian distribution, with no significant differences between the right and the left lobes. Values (mean (SD) range) were: length (cm), 1.94 (0.24) 0.9–2.5; breadth (cm), 0.88 (0.16) 0.5–1.4; depth (cm), 0.96 (0.17) 0.6–2.0; volume (ml), 0.81 (0.24) 0.3–1.7; combined volume (ml), 1.62 (0.41) 0.7–3.3. Although there was no difference in mean volume between right and left lobes, there was considerable variation (−0.8 to + 0.7 ml) between the two lobes in individual babies.

Conclusions: Both lobes should be measured to give a combined volume. Our findings provide a reference against which thyroid hypoplasia or goitre can be evaluated.

Footnotes

    Responses to this article

    • Re: Ultrasound of the thyroid gland in the newborn
      • Selim Kurtoglu,
      • Mustafa Akcakus, Tamer Gunes, Mehmet E. Atabek
      Arch Dis Child - Fetal Neonatal Ed published online December 2, 2002

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.