What information does an ultrasound provide?

In the setting of recurrent thyroid cancer, ultrasound studies may be used to perform anatomic imaging. Ultrasound studies are primarily used to examine structures in the neck. If a patient has undergone previous thyroid surgery, there is often a certain amount of scar tissue present in the lower anterior portion of the neck. If a patient has also undergone previous neck dissection, the underlying anatomy of that side of the neck may have been altered if sections of muscle were removed during an operation. Scar tissue and altered anatomy can make it difficult to examine a patient's neck by direct palpation. Ultrasound studies can help to clarify suspicious findings by providing high-resolution images of soft tissue. In particular, they can be used to identify masses that may represent regrowth of cancer in the thyroid bed, or growth of cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. If necessary, ultrasound studies can also be used to help guide fine needle aspiration biopsy of any suspicious masses.

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