Superb Microvascular Imaging in the Evaluation of Pediatric Graves Disease and Hashimoto Thyroiditis

Abstract

Objectives-We aimed to investigate the differences between spectral Doppler and Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI; Canon Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan) findings in children with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and Graves disease (GD) compared to healthy control participants.Methods-The study included 34 patients with GD, 37 patients with HT, and 22 healthy volunteers. All patients with HT and 11 patients with GD were euthyroid; 23 patients with GD had symptoms of hyperthyroidism and had thyrotropin values of less than 0.5 mIU/L. Thyroid volumes, mean resistive indices, and peak systolic velocities along with vascularity indices (VIs) on Superb Microvascular Imaging were measured.

Evaluation of parenchymal vascularity of the thyroid gland with vascularization index by color superb microvascular imaging in patients with Graves’ disease

“…Although SMI is largely studied to assess the vascularization of the previously mentioned organs, the VI is utilized in a minority of these studies. In the literature, there are five papers evaluating thyroid gland vascularity based on the VI by cSMI (12,13,(20)(21)(22) . Bayramoğlu et al (20) studied the VI determined by cSMI in 70 pediatric patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis.…”

“…The authors reported that the median VI of the thyroid gland was 7.95 (5.98-9.7) in asymptomatic volunteers, and 13.5 (8.7-18) in children with Hashimoto thyroiditis (p <0.001). Durmaz et al (13) studied the VI (21) evaluated the VI by cSMI in pediatric patients with GD (n = 34) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (n = 37) in another study. Their results for median VI levels of the control, GD, and Hashimoto thyroiditis groups were given separately for the right and left lobes, and were equal to: 8 and 8; 11 and 13; and 25 and 26, respectively.…”

“…While there was a negative correlation between the VI values and TSH, fT4 levels (p <0.05), positive correlations were found between the VI values and the fT3 level, isthmus thickness, and total thyroid volume (p <0.01). No significant (21) evaluated the VI by cSMI in pediatric patients with GD (n = 34) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (n = 37) in another study. Their results for median VI levels of the control, GD, and Hashimoto thyroiditis groups were given separately for the right and left lobes, and were equal to: 8 and 8; 11 and 13; and 25 and 26, respectively.…”

Quantitative analysis of distal femoral epiphysis blood supply in healthy infants with superb microvascular imaging: a pilot study

“…SMI is particularly useful in evaluation of non-sedated children. In the pediatric age, SMI studies have been carried out on some organs such as testis, thyroid, and lymph nodes [11][12][13]. Small vessels enter the DFE cartilage through the periosteal/subperiosteal regions.…”

Assessment of thyroid gland vascularity with superb microvascular imaging in healthy children and its relationship with potential factors

“…Once this becomes clearer, it may be possible to use this method on different disease groups in the future. Additionally, knowing the normal interval for VI values will be helpful in early identification of autoimmune processes frequently seen in children, especially, and for differentiating them from one another [17]. Future studies will need to look at the correlation between histopathologic changes in thyroid diseases and VI values.…”