“Does a neck CT scan show your thyroid?”
I am a 40 year old female. I want to know if a neck CT scan shows your thyroid?
8 Answers
Yes. Your thyroid will be included in your neck CT scan.
Yes.
A neck CT generally does show your thyroid gland in most people. If your thyroid is very large and extends into the chest, the CT may not show all of it. It should also be noted that while the thyroid gland may be seen on CT, ultrasound of the thyroid is much better at demonstrating fine detail of the thyroid parenchyma. Small thyroid nodules which may not be apparent on CT are usually seen on ultrasound.
Yes.
Yes, the thyroid is included in the field of view of a neck CT.
A neck CT includes the thyroid if it is in its normal position in the neck.
Yes.
A CT of the neck will show the thyroid gland. Unfortunately, a CT is not a very good technique for evaluating the thyroid. In fact, imaging (CT, MRI, and Ultrasound) is notoriously poor at evaluating the thyroid. Imaging should generally NOT be used to evaluate thyroid function. (Hypo and hyper) Imaging is also not great at telling the very common, non-cancerous thyroid nodules, from the very rare cancerous nodules.
Working up thyroid nodules is frequently done poorly. These workups are often done poorly by advanced practitioners and non-specialists. If there is concern about a thyroid nodule, involve an ENT early rather than later. This can save headaches and unnecessary tests.
Working up thyroid nodules is frequently done poorly. These workups are often done poorly by advanced practitioners and non-specialists. If there is concern about a thyroid nodule, involve an ENT early rather than later. This can save headaches and unnecessary tests.
