Korean J Intern Med.
2018 Jul;33(4):753-762. 10.3904/kjim.2015.273.
Prevalence of thyroid nodules and their associated clinical parameters: a large-scale, multicenter-based health checkup study
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
- 2Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea.
- 3National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul, Korea.
- 4Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 5Department of Internal Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea.
- 6Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 7Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea.
- 8Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. khyi@snu.ac.kr
- KMID: 2416002
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2015.273
Abstract
- BACKGROUND/AIMS
We evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of thyroid nodules detected by thyroid ultrasound (US) at health checkups and the associated clinical parameters.
METHODS
A total of 72,319 subjects who underwent thyroid US at three health checkup centers in Korea from January 2004 to December 2010 were included in this study. The correlations between the presence of thyroid nodules and other clinical parameters were analyzed.
RESULTS
The prevalence of thyroid nodules and cysts was 34.2% (n = 24,757). Thyroid nodules were more prevalent in women and older age groups. Among the subjects with thyroid nodules with size information (n = 24,686), 18,833 (76.3%) had nodules measuring ≤ 1.0 cm. Women and older age groups showed higher proportion of larger nodules. Percentage of women, age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat composition, blood pressure, and the level of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were higher in the subjects with thyroid nodules compared to those without nodules. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and overt/subclinical thyrotoxic state was higher in the subjects with thyroid nodules. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, women, age, BMI, metabolic syndrome, and thyrotoxicosis were independently associated with the presence of thyroid nodules.
CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of thyroid nodules in people who underwent thyroid US at a health checkup suggests that increased detection of thyroid nodules resulted in an increased prevalence in the general population. However, metabolic disturbances may also have contributed to the increase in thyroid nodule prevalence in Korea.
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- Prevalence of Ultrasonographically-Detected Thyroid Nodules in Adults without Previous History of Thyroid Disease
- An Occupational Study in Nurses: Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules and Cancer in Comparison to Health Check-up Female
- Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules Detected by Ultrasonography in Adult Men Attending Health Check-ups
- Elastography of the Thyroid Glands
- Prevalence of Thyroid Cancer in Thyroid Nodules with Dense Calcification
