Helping people gain better

There are many reasons for examining the thyroid with ultrasound. The most common reason is to provide more information for your doctor about the following:

• A mass your doctor felt while examining you;
• Something unusual was found by other exams, such as a nuclear scan, a CT scan, or an MRI exam;
• What caused your thyroid gland to get larger;
• What caused the pain or swelling in your thyroid gland; or
• Abnormalities in your thyroid, such as masses or cysts.

A sonogram may not provide all the information your doctor needs. In these cases, more studies or tests may be needed. These may include blood tests; a biopsy in which your doctor removes a small amount of cells or fluid; or other types of ultrasound examinations.