The thyroid gland performs very important functions in the body. Violation of the functionality of the body leads to the development of serious diseases. Most pathologies are asymptomatic for quite a long time, for a long time the patient does not know about the presence of the disease. You can recognize it at an early stage with the help of ultrasound diagnostics. Conclusions about the state are made on the basis of the parameters of the organ, its structure, size, volume. The last indicator is especially important. The normal volume of the thyroid gland differs between men and women. When deciphering the results, the patient's age is also taken into account, as well as gender, weight, height and individual characteristics of his body.
What is the thyroid gland and what are its functions
The thyroid gland is an endocrine unpaired organ of internal secretion. The gland is located on the front side of the neck. The shape resembles a butterfly, consists of two unequal-sized shares. By their sizedetermine the normal volume of the thyroid gland.
Performs a number of important functions in the body. This is:
- Formation and release of hormones into the blood.
- Regulation and stimulation of human growth and development (both physical and mental).
- Tissue orthogenesis.
- Activation of various metabolic processes in the body.
- Absorption and accumulation of iodine.
In what cases is an ultrasound of the thyroid gland prescribed
Ultrasound is a safe and fairly informative method for examining the thyroid gland. It is included in the list of regular scheduled inspections. The indications for unscheduled diagnostics are as follows:
- Visual increase in the size of the neck at the location of the endocrine gland.
- In men and women, the volume of the thyroid gland is normal, but there is discomfort and pain when swallowing.
- General weakness.
- Chronic insomnia or drowsiness.
- Frequent headaches.
- Increased dry skin, brittle nails and hair.
- Prone to inflammatory airways disease.
- In men, a decrease in libido, a violation of potency.
- Hormone intake.
It is obligatory to undergo an ultrasound for the purpose of prevention in the following cases:
- Congenital thyroid disorders.
- Planning pregnancy.
- Living or working in places with unfavorable environmental conditions.
Determined parameters
During the diagnosis, the patient is inlying position. This position helps the patient to relax, and the specialist has free access to the organ. With the help of ultrasound, the following parameters are determined:
- Dimensions of the left and right lobes, isthmus.
- Contours of the organ.
- The structure of the fabric.
- Echogenicity.
- Thyroid volume. When calculating the parameter, the sizes of the right and left lobes are taken into account. The norm of the volume of the thyroid gland is calculated by the ultrasound machine independently according to a certain formula. The specialist places a linear transducer on the surface of the neck at the location of the endocrine organ. After the image is fixed on the screen, the width and thickness of the lobes are visually determined and measured.
What is the normal volume of the thyroid gland in men
In the representatives of the stronger sex, iron has a different structure than in women. But the diagnosis is the same for everyone. The location of the thyroid gland depends on age. In boys, the organ is located quite high. As a man grows older, the gland goes down a little, and sometimes from the front of the neck goes into the retrosternal space.
Due to the anatomical features of the stronger sex, pathology is quickly diagnosed on certain grounds. Due to the small amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue in the neck, any deviations from the normal volume of the thyroid gland in men become immediately noticeable. This is a fairly significant reason that the stronger sex is less likely to suffer from advanced forms of endocrine diseases.
Volume up to 25 ml in men is considerednormal. But all people are different, therefore, for an objective assessment, age and body weight are taken into account when determining the norm. The second indicator is more important because being overweight is a symptom of most endocrine diseases.
| Body weight | up to 40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100 | from 100 |
| Volume | 12, 5 | 15, 5 | 18, 7 | 22, 0 | 25, 0 | 28, 5 | 32, 1 | 35, 0 |
A decrease or increase of 0.5 - 1 cm³ is not a deviation. But even if the thyroid gland has a larger or smaller size in volume, the final diagnosis is made on the basis of all indicators. Also, when making a conclusion, the results of previous studies are important so that you can compare the difference in performance.
What is the normal volume of the thyroid gland in women
Females more often than men are concerned about problems with the endocrine organ. Anatomically, women are arranged in such a way that the organ is almost invisible from the outside. Moreover, visual deviations are observed when endocrine pathologies begin to progress.
The first signs of a violation of the functionality of the thyroid gland are not changes in its parameters, but general unexpressed disorders of the psyche and the reproductive system. Reasons for an examination may include the following information from the history and physical examination:
- On palpation, an increase in the organ is determined.
- There is slight hyperemia of the skin of the neck at the location of the thyroid gland.
- Sickness, a sharp decline in strength.
- Frequent unreasonable mood swings.
- Irregular menstruation. Moreover, they occur in the absence of gynecological diseases or STDs.
Such symptoms may indicate disorders of the gland. In such cases, an examination is necessary. When making a diagnosis, all parameters are taken into account, changes in size are important.
As with men, normal thyroid volume varies with age in women. By the way, the calculation can be carried out independently, having the results of echogenic diagnostics in hand. To do this, you need to multiply the given length, width and height, and multiply the result by 0, 479. But by and large, this exercise is pointless, because only a doctor can determine which numbers are the norm.
The norm of thyroid volume in women is slightly different from the norm in men.
| Weight | up to 40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100 |
| Volume (ml) | 12, 1 | 14, 0 | 19, 0 | 22, 1 | 25, 0 | 28, 5 | 32, 1 |
In adolescent girls and pregnant women, the volume of the endocrine gland increases, which is normal.
Norms in children
The germ of the gland arises on4th week of intrauterine development. The gland in the form of a protrusion appears between the I and II pairs of gill pockets. According to the morphological structure, the protrusion is an epithelial cord, which at the initial stage is a thyroid duct. Subsequently, the right and left lobes of the thyroid gland develop from the cord.
The weight of the endocrine gland of a newborn is on average 1 - 2 g. Subsequently, the normal parameters of the organ are calculated depending on a number of conditions:
- Age.
- Gender
- Body weight and height.
- Chest circumference when exhaling.
- Degree of puberty.
The normal volume of the thyroid gland in children is presented in the table. WHO recommends taking into account the sex of the child, his height and weight as the main criteria. The volume is calculated using the formula BCA (m²)=√((BEC+POCT)/3600).
The volume of the thyroid gland in boys should normally be 2.6 - 15.8, and in girls 2.5 - 15.6 ml.
Dimensions, contours, fabric structure
When decoding ultrasound, all indicators are taken into account, however, with certain diseases, they focus on something to a greater or lesser extent.
Initially pay attention to the location of the gland, it should be in the lower neck. Her normal measurements are:
- Length - 2, 5 - 4 cm.
- Height - 1.5 - 2 cm.
- Width – 1.5 - 2.0 cm.
Without these parameters, it is impossible to calculate the normal volume of the thyroid gland.
Outlines should be clear. She looks likebutterfly: two small sections connected by a thin strip. The lack of structure indicates thyroid dysfunction. Blurry outlines may indicate the formation of inflammation or be a sign of a malignant neoplasm.
The structure of the fabric in the normal state is homogeneous, fine-meshed, the size of the cells does not exceed 1 mm and does not differ much in color. Honeycomb-like graininess is a symptom of autoimmune thyroiditis or toxic goiter.
Echogenicity
Echogenicity is the reflection of high-frequency waves from the tissues of the thyroid gland. This property reflects on the monitor areas of it with varying degrees of darkening. Based on the intensity of the tone, 4 types of echogenicity are distinguished.
- Isoechoic (normal).
- Hypoechoic (reduced) formations indicate an increase in the hydrophilicity of individual areas or the entire organ and the presence of malignant cells.
- Hyperechoic formations (or inclusions) indicate increased acoustic density. A similar phenomenon may be associated with the deposition of calcifications in the tissues of the organ.
- Anechoic formations appear as dark spots. The cause of their appearance may be pseudocysts, cysts, nodes, malignant neoplasms.
Causes of gland enlargement
The normal volume of the thyroid gland in women is on average 18.1 ml, in men - 25.0 ml. An increase in parameters indicates hyperplasia of the cells of the organ. There are severalcauses of cell proliferation:
- Lack of iodine. The condition occurs due to malnutrition or living in places where there is an iodine deficiency.
- Use of medications that disrupt the thyroid gland: fluoride or lithium-containing drugs, oral contraceptives, interferons.
- Autoimmune diseases of the organ.
- Disruption of the pituitary and hypothalamus due to the occurrence of tumors, infectious inflammatory processes in the brain, damage, hemorrhages.
- Presence of severe infectious pathologies.
Why the thyroid gland is shrinking
Pathological conditions include not only an increase, but also a decrease in the normal volumes of the thyroid gland lobes. Most often, downward changes are observed in children and older people. But if in the latter this process is associated with age-related characteristics, then in babies a similar condition occurs for the following reasons:
- Lack of iodine in the mother's body during childbearing.
- Having bad habits during pregnancy.
- Violation of the functionality of the endocrine organ during lactation, as a result of which an insufficient amount of iodine for the child is secreted with milk.
In adults, hypotrophy of the gland develops as a result of the following reasons:
- Misuse of radioactive iodine.
- Benign and malignant neoplasias.
- Genetic predisposition to thyroid disease.
- Exposure to radiation.
- Age changes.
- Bad habits, including smoking and frequent drinking of alcoholic beverages.
How to prepare for ultrasound diagnostics
If the patient has a normal thyroid volume, then this usually indicates the absence of pathologies. Morphological changes are a long process and factors such as eating or smoking on the eve of the study do not affect the results of the examination.
Special preparation for ultrasound is not required. The only thing to consider is if the patient uses drugs that affect the functionality of the gland. It is necessary to warn the doctor about this. Drugs may need to be discontinued or testing temporarily postponed.
You can also bring a towel under your neck and wipes to remove the gel from your neck.
How to find out the size of the endocrine gland at home
It is impossible to determine the exact dimensions of an organ without special equipment. Most people are not well versed in anatomy and do not even know where exactly the thyroid gland is located, not to mention its size. You can only find out by ultrasound the normal volume of the thyroid gland. It is necessary to undergo examination regularly, because this is one of the most effective ways to prevent endocrine diseases.
