Korean J Endocr Surg.  2015 Dec;15(4):93-98. 10.16956/kaes.2015.15.4.93.

Clinical Characteristics and Incidence of Thyroid Nodule in the Male Population for Health Check-up

• Jeon YJ
• Koh YT
• Oh SJ
• Koo MY

• KMID: 2308576
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kaes.2015.15.4.93

Abstract

PURPOSE
Thyroid nodules are a common disease in clinical practice. The prevalence of thyroid nodules has recently increased according to the development of thyroid ultrasonography. Thyroid nodules are more commonly found in women, but the potential for malignant nodules is much higher in men. The purpose of this study was to assess clinical characteristics and the incidence of thyroid nodules and malignancy in the adult male population.
METHODS
Clinical characteristics and incidence of thyroid nodules was examined by screening ultrasonography targeting 6,968 male patients over the age of 40 who visited the National Police Hospital from January 2012 and April 2015.
RESULTS
Among 6,968 male patients, 2,481 (35.6%) showed abnormal findings on ultrasonography. Of the 2,481 patients, 2,370 patients (34.01%) had a thyroid nodule and 111 patients (4.47%) had thyroiditis without a thyroid nodule, previous thyroidectomy, lymphadenopathy, esophageal diverticulum, parathyroid cyst, and benign calcification. Of the 2,481 patients, 958 patients (38.6%) had abnormal TFT and 204 patients (8.22%) had thyroiditis with or without a thyroid nodule. Thyroid nodules were benign in 1993 (80.33%) cases, indeterminate in 313 (12.61%) cases, and suspicious in 64 (2.56%) cases. Among the 2,481 subjects, thyroid cancer was detected in 37 subjects (1.49%).
CONCLUSION
The incidence of thyroid nodules has recently increased according to the development of thyroid ultrasonography.

Keyword

Thyroid nodule; Thyroid cancer; Ultrasonography; Male

MeSH Terms

Adult
Diverticulum, Esophageal
Female
Humans
Incidence*
Lymphatic Diseases
Male*
Mass Screening
Police
Prevalence
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroid Nodule*
Thyroidectomy
Thyroiditis
Ultrasonography

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Percentage of patients with ultrasonographically detected abnormal findings by age distribution.

• 

  Fig. 2 Ultrasound finding of benign presentation of thyroid nodule found papillary carcinoma at biopsy. (A) Transverse sonogram. (B) Longitudinal sonogram.

• 

  Fig. 3 Ultrasound finding of benign cystic nodule with lateral lymph node metastasis. (A) Transverse sonogram of thyroid nodule. (B) Tranverse sonogram of lateral lymph node. (C) Longitudinal sonogram of lateral lymph node.

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