Thyroid nodules are a common clinical finding, with an estimated prevalence of 3% to 7% at palpation. Prevalence of non-palpable nodules at thyroid ultrasound (US) in the general population is a lot much higher; many patients with palpable thyroid nodules have additional nodules at US (15-35%). The great majority of thyroid nodules are benign -- less than 5% are malignant (i.e. carcinomas). While cytological examination of fine needle aspirates is the gold standard for discriminating malignant nodules, thyroid conventional US patterns have high specificity but low sensitivity for diagnosing carcinomas. Elastosonography is a new technique employing US to give an estimate of nodular stiffness and is being developed to achieve greater accuracy in diagnosis. Alternative treatment modalities for benign thyroid nodules, such as laser therapy – a novel, minimally invasive treatment – are currently being tested to overcome the limits of medical therapy and avoid unnecessary thyroid excision.

EXCEMED is cooperating with the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine Unit # 1, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, of the University of Pisa, Italy, to produce deliver a high level course in thyroid ultrasonography focusing on new modalities for diagnosing and treating thyroid nodules while exploring the practical sides of US guided diagnostic elastosonography and laser therapy for managing thyroid nodules.

The main objectives of this course are to review the latest news in thyroid ultrasound diagnostic criteria and applications in the presence of thyroid nodules and to provide tools for daily clinical practice when executing diagnostic elastosonography and laser treatment for benign nodules.