Abstract
Early diagnosis of breast and thyroid cancers can be achieved by mass survey. Physical examination (PE) is usually used for mass survey of breast and thyroid, but it is affected by experience of examiner or by presence of non-palpable tumor. Effectiveness of ultrasonic examination (US) for breast and thyroid in Automated Multiphasic Health Testing Sysytem (AMHTS) in Tokai University Hospital have been appreciated in this tentative study in comparison with PE.
12.6% of breast masses shown on US were not palpated on PE and were composed of cysts (80.4%) and solid masses (19.6%). About half of breast masses palpated by PE were not revealed by US except for fibrocystic pattern.
22.6% of thyroid masses on US could not be palpated and consisted of diffuse goiter (9.3%) and local tumors (90.7%). All the thyroid masses on PE could also be shown on US.
Pathological diagnosis of the cases for further examination was confirmed in few cases, and they will be also presented.
In conclusion, breast and thyroid masses can be found by much more frequently than by PE, suggesting usefulness of US as one of modalities for mass survey of breast and thyroid, though difference of image quality of devices, frequency of transducers, acoustic couplers and so on are still to be improved.
