Biomaterial Database

Solitary cold thyroid nodule: cost-ineffectiveness of ultrasonography. 1984

H Abdel-Nabi, and J M Falko, and J O Olsen, and A K Freimanis

We reviewed our experience with thyroid sonography of 60 patients with nonfunctioning (cold) solitary thyroid nodules proven by iodine 123 scan. Twenty-two patients had surgery; the remaining 38 had thyroid scan and ultrasound only. In the first group, the echograms did not demonstrate the surgically proven nodules in seven patients (32%). In the second group, the thyroid echograms were reported as negative in 12 patients (32%). Two of these patients had computerized tomography (CT) which confirmed the solitary nodule identified on the 123I scan. As a consequence, we no longer perform or recommend routine thyroid echograms on all scintigraphically cold solitary nodules. We believe that the extra cost of a thyroid echogram is not justified and that the most rational application of thyroid ultrasonography is in assessing the response of a nodule to suppressive hormonal therapy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007457	Iodine Radioisotopes	Unstable isotopes of iodine that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. I atoms with atomic weights 117-139, except I 127, are radioactive iodine isotopes.	Radioisotopes, Iodine
D011877	Radionuclide Imaging	The production of an image obtained by cameras that detect the radioactive emissions of an injected radionuclide as it has distributed differentially throughout tissues in the body. The image obtained from a moving detector is called a scan, while the image obtained from a stationary camera device is called a scintiphotograph.	Gamma Camera Imaging,Radioisotope Scanning,Scanning, Radioisotope,Scintigraphy,Scintiphotography,Imaging, Gamma Camera,Imaging, Radionuclide
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D005188	False Negative Reactions	Negative test results in subjects who possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of diseased persons as healthy when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Negative Reaction,Reaction, False Negative,Reactions, False Negative
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013959	Thyroid Diseases	Pathological processes involving the THYROID GLAND.	Disease, Thyroid,Diseases, Thyroid,Thyroid Disease
D013964	Thyroid Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the THYROID GLAND.	Cancer of Thyroid,Thyroid Cancer,Cancer of the Thyroid,Neoplasms, Thyroid,Thyroid Adenoma,Thyroid Carcinoma,Adenoma, Thyroid,Adenomas, Thyroid,Cancer, Thyroid,Cancers, Thyroid,Carcinoma, Thyroid,Carcinomas, Thyroid,Neoplasm, Thyroid,Thyroid Adenomas,Thyroid Cancers,Thyroid Carcinomas,Thyroid Neoplasm
D014463	Ultrasonography	The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz.	Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.