Sonographic Determination of Thyroid Gland Volume among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Northern Nigeria

• Published in: Nigerian journal of medicine Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 428 - 432
• Main Authors: Aminu, Abubakar, Mansur, Ramalan, Ya'U, Anas, Mansur, Umar, Hassan, Aliyu, Adam, Auwal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2023; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: High speed trains; kano; Medical imaging equipment; Thyroid diseases; Thyroid gland; thyroid volume; Type 2 diabetes; type 2 diabetes mellitus; ultrasound; Ultrasound imaging; Nigeria
• ISSN: 1115-2613; 2667-0526
• DOI: 10.4103/NJM.NJM_93_23

Background: Thyroid disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are interconnected endocrine disorders with a bidirectional relationship. T2DM patients may present with various thyroid abnormalities, such as gland enlargement and nodule formation, warranting noninvasive assessment through ultrasound scanning. Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate thyroid gland volume (TGV) in adult patients with T2DM using ultrasound imaging in Kano. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 participants were randomly selected and underwent sonographic scans of the thyroid gland using a medical ultrasound machine with a 7.5 MHz linear probe. Thyroid volumes were recorded, and demographic information was collected. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 29, with significance set at P < 0.05. Results: The mean TGV ± standard deviation was 5.8 ± 3.1 cm 3 . Females exhibited a statistically higher TGV (6.1 ± 3.4 cm 3 ) compared to males (5.6 ± 2.8 cm 3 ). There was no significant difference in TGV among patients with different diabetes control habits. The mean volume of the right lobe (3.1 ± 1.8 cm 3 ) was significantly greater than that of the left lobe (2.7 ± 1.6 cm 3 ). TGV correlated positively with T2DM duration, age, weight, and body mass index. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the TGV among patients with T2DM in Kano. The findings indicate a positive correlation between TGV and T2DM duration and demonstrate gender and laterality differences. Ultrasound-based assessment of thyroid volume can be a valuable tool in monitoring thyroid health in T2DM patients and may aid in the early detection and management of thyroid abnormalities.