Which thyroid disease is associated with hypoechoic areas on ultrasound?

Which thyroid disease is associated with hypoechoic areas on ultrasound?

• A. Graves Disease
• B. Hashimoto Disease
• C. DeQuervian Disease
• D. Chronic Thyroiditis

Answer: (C)

Hypoechoic areas on thyroid ultrasound are a hallmark of inflammatory changes in the gland. In subacute granulomatous thyroiditis (De Quervain’s), the gland is often enlarged with patchy, ill-defined hypoechoic regions that reflect focal inflamed tissue. These hypoechoic zones help distinguish it from Graves disease, which usually shows diffuse changes with markedly increased blood flow on Doppler, and from chronic thyroiditis like Hashimoto, which tends to produce more uniform diffuse hypoechogenicity with a heterogeneous texture rather than discrete patches. So the presence of patchy hypoechoic areas aligns most with De Quervain’s thyroiditis.

Hypoechoic areas on thyroid ultrasound are a hallmark of inflammatory changes in the gland. In subacute granulomatous thyroiditis (De Quervain’s), the gland is often enlarged with patchy, ill-defined hypoechoic regions that reflect focal inflamed tissue. These hypoechoic zones help distinguish it from Graves disease, which usually shows diffuse changes with markedly increased blood flow on Doppler, and from chronic thyroiditis like Hashimoto, which tends to produce more uniform diffuse hypoechogenicity with a heterogeneous texture rather than discrete patches. So the presence of patchy hypoechoic areas aligns most with De Quervain’s thyroiditis.