Investigation of thyroid glands in oral SCC patients by US

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) for investigation of thyroid glands in surveying the cervical lymph nodes to detect metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods: The detection rates and characteristics of abnormal thyroid findings detected by US in 300 patients with oral SCC were analyzed. Follow-up examinations were regularly conducted to assess any changes in the thyroid gland. Results: Of the 300 patients with oral SCC, 90 had abnormal thyroid gland findings on US. The detection rate of detection of thyroid gland diseases by US significantly increased. As patient's age increased, the detection rate of thyroid glands diseases in women by US was significantly higher than that in men. Of the 90 patients with abnormal findings, 10 showed enlargement in the size of the lesion on follow-up examination with US. Conclusion: We demonstrated that patients with oral SCC have a relatively high rate of diseases in the thyroid gland that can be detected by US. Thyroid gland should be included when surveying cervical lymph nodes for metastasis in patient with oral SCC.