Presentation
High thyroid hormones for 4 months with mild proptosis. The patient is on antithyroid medications since then.
Patient Data
Both thyroid lobes are slightly enlarged with diffuse heterogeneous hypoechoic texture, reflecting diffuse parenchymal disease. Mild increased parenchymal vascularity on color Doppler. On spectral Doppler, markedly increased peak systolic velocity of thyroid aretries reaching 90 cm/sec.
Case Discussion
This case features the significance of spectral Doppler in setting on parenchymal thyroid disease. Increased peak systolic velocity of thyroid arteries more than 40 cm/sec is suggestive of thyrotoxicosis 1. Graves disease accounts for 85% of cases of thyrotoxicosis.
On color Doppler, thyroid inferno may not be seen, especially in cases under treatment. Doppler settings should be set on a low-velocity scale for better demonstration. On the other hand, it can be seen in other diseases of autoimmune thyroiditis than thyrotoxicosis as Hashimoto thyroiditis.