Thyroid Ultrasound Examination: Results of the Preliminary Baseline Survey
These are the results of the Preliminary Baseline Survey, which was the very first Thyroid Ultrasound Examination (FY2011 to FY2013).
Examinees diagnosed as Grade A in the Primary Examination accounted for 99.2% of the total, while those diagnosed as Grade B accounted for 0.8%. It became clear that most of those diagnosed as Grade A2 had cysts of 20 mm or smaller and that those diagnosed as Grade B had nodules of 5.1 mm or larger.
In the Confirmatory Examination, as a result of a more accurate ultrasound examination and other tests, 34%, or approximately one out of three who received the Confirmatory Examination, were diagnosed as being equivalent to Grade A and were recommended to receive the next periodic examination (Full-scale Survey) in the same manner as those diagnosed as Grade A in the Primary Examination. This is because those who were suspected to have any abnormalities were diagnosed as Grade B just to be safe in the Primary Examination, and such people include those eventually diagnosed as Grade A in the Confirmatory Examination as a result of comprehensive and objective judgments through a more detailed examination, etc.
Among the examinees whose results of the Confirmatory Examination were finalized, 66% were shifted to ordinary medical care covered by health insurance, and appropriate measures are determined by the responsible doctor, based on individual findings and circumstances.
Furthermore, 39.6% went through fine-needle aspiration cytology, and 116 examinees were diagnosed as malignant or suspicious for malignancy. Out of these examinees, it is known that 102 had surgery. However, not all the patients who are diagnosed as malignant or suspicious for malignancy are indicated for immediate surgery, and the decisions are made depending on the individuals' situations after the consultation among physicians, examinees, and their families.
- Included in this reference material on March 31, 2016
- Updated on March 31, 2023