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Reference values for Doppler ultrasound parameters of the thyroid in a healthy iodine-non-deficient population

¹ Division of Ultrasound of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo – Instituto de Radiologia, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 255, 3° andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP 0503-001, ² Division of Endocrinology, ³ Division of Radiology of the Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia – Departamento de Clínica Médica, Av. Pará, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, CEP 38405-320

Correspondence: Dr Tulio Macedo, R. Delmira C R Cunha 740, Uberlândia 38408-208, Brazil. E-mail: tamacedo{at}hotmail.com

The aim of this study was to describe normal Doppler parameter values in the thyroid arteries in an iodine-replete region. 165 individuals were randomly selected in a community located in the south-east of Brazil. We obtained a clinical history on each subject and determined serum thyrotropin, antiperoxidase antibodies, thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) and thyroid volumes through ultrasound. Subjects with thyroid disease and those under 20 years of age were excluded. 84 representative subjects (30 men and 54 women) remained. The systolic peak velocity (SPV), resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) in the superior and inferior thyroid arteries were measured using a 5–12 MHz linear probe. Except for the RI, the distribution of all Doppler parameters was non-gaussian. The median and mean references for the SPV, RI and PI were 24.80 cm s^–1 and 25.85 cm s^–1, 0.60 and 0.62, and 0.98 and 1.04, respectively, for superior thyroid arteries; these reference values for the inferior thyroid artery were 20.92 cm s^–1 and 21.50 cm s^–1, 0.57 and 0.57, and 0.84 and 0.88, respectively (p<0.001). Women had greater SPV values (p<0.01). We have determined reference thyroid Doppler parameter values in our iodine-non-deficient population and prepared tables by sex and age.