Finding the right tests…
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Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
Sonography
USG NECK looks at the soft tissue structures running through your neck, not just the thyroid gland sitting within it. That includes lymph nodes, salivary glands, and any lump you or your doctor can feel, whether or not it turns out to be connected to the thyroid at all. Doctors reach for this broader scan when a neck lump's origin isn't obvious from examination alone, since the neck holds several different kinds of tissue capable of producing a palpable swelling. Ultrasound reads a lymph node's size, shape, and internal pattern to help judge whether it looks like a reactive, infection-related swelling or something that needs a biopsy.
This scan checks the specific soft tissue structure or lump your doctor has flagged in your neck, along with any nearby lymph nodes. Your doctor looks at size, shape, and internal pattern to judge whether a finding looks reactive or needs a biopsy for a clear answer.
Your neck holds more than one kind of tissue that can produce a lump: lymph nodes, salivary glands, the thyroid, and other soft tissue structures. USG NECK is the broader entry for checking any of these, used when a swelling's origin isn't clear from a physical exam alone.
A lymph node that's simply reacting to a nearby infection tends to keep its normal shape and internal fatty centre, just larger than usual. One that's lost that centre, grown an irregular shape, or developed an uneven internal pattern is looked at more closely, sometimes with a needle sample taken during the same visit.
A dedicated thyroid scan stays focused on the gland itself. This entry covers the wider space around it, useful when your doctor isn't yet sure whether a neck lump is coming from the thyroid, a lymph node, or another soft tissue structure entirely.
Ultrasound has no radiation, and it reads soft tissue detail that a plain X-ray of the neck can't show.
A thyroid ultrasound stays focused on the gland itself. This entry covers the wider space around it, including lymph nodes, salivary glands, and other soft tissue, useful when a lump's origin isn't clear yet.
Not on its own. It narrows down the possibilities using size, shape, and internal pattern, but a definite answer for a suspicious finding usually needs a needle sample.
A normal lymph node usually has a fatty centre visible on ultrasound. Losing that centre is one of several features that raises more attention, though it doesn't confirm a specific cause on its own.
No, it's painless. A probe with gel is moved gently over your neck.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
No. It's an ultrasound-based scan using sound waves, with no radiation exposure.
Only if your doctor decides a finding needs sampling. That's a separate decision made after the scan itself, not an automatic next step.
There's no single preparation that applies to every patient. Ask your doctor or the centre directly what they'd like you to do beforehand.