Thyroid ultrasound
A thyroid ultrasound shows the size, volume, structure, nodules and blood flow of your thyroid gland. It is the first test doctors use to check the thyroid. It is painless, uses no radiation and needs almost no preparation. At Oberig Clinic in Kyiv the scan costs UAH 1,160 and takes 15-20 minutes. Ultrasound doctors of the Diagnostic Department perform it on expert-class machines.
What a thyroid ultrasound shows
The doctor measures each lobe in three planes and works out the volume of the gland. Then they look at echogenicity (how bright or dark the tissue looks on screen), how even it is, the outline and the blood flow in Doppler mode. They also check the isthmus, the parathyroid glands and the lymph nodes of the neck.
The scan picks up nodules from 2-3 mm, cysts, signs of autoimmune thyroiditis, an enlarged gland (goitre), a small gland in hypothyroidism and increased blood flow in an overactive thyroid. After thyroid surgery it shows whether any tissue is left and whether the neck nodes have changed.
Ultrasound does not measure hormones. It shows the structure. Blood tests show how the gland works: TSH, free T4, TPO antibodies. That is why an endocrinologist almost always looks at both results together.
When to check your thyroid
Reasons to have a scan: a lump on the neck, a feeling of something stuck in the throat, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice without a cold. Come in if your weight changes for no reason, or you notice a racing heart, shaky hands, sweating, or the opposite: feeling cold, sleepy, dry skin and hair loss.
Doctors order the scan when TSH changes, when you plan a pregnancy and during it, for infertility and cycle problems, before hormone treatment and if relatives have thyroid disease. Tell the doctor about any neck radiation in childhood. It raises the risk of nodules. Ukraine is an iodine-deficient region. Nodules are common here, and most of them are benign. If you already have a nodule, follow-up scans usually happen every 6-12 months. After surgery or radioactive iodine treatment the scan helps spot leftover tissue or a relapse early.
If the scan has already shown changes or your blood tests are off, the next step is an endocrinologist. The doctor puts the scan, hormones and symptoms together and decides on treatment, monitoring or a needle biopsy.
How to prepare for a thyroid ultrasound
The short answer: you do not need to prepare. The gland sits just under the skin. The bowel and bladder do not cover it, so you need no diet and no full bladder.
Can you eat before the scan? Yes, and drink too. Have breakfast as usual. Women can have the scan on any day of the cycle.
Do you take thyroid hormones? Do not stop them. Just bring a list of your medicines and doses. The doctor needs to know if you take levothyroxine, anti-thyroid drugs or iodine.
There is almost nothing you must avoid. Skip greasy cream or foundation on your neck. Do not wear a high collar or chunky jewellery, because the neck must be fully open. Tie long hair back.
For children it is the same: no restrictions. A favourite toy or a cartoon helps small children lie still for a few minutes.
What to bring:
- earlier ultrasound reports, so the doctor can compare nodule sizes
- recent TSH, free T4 and TPO antibody results, if you have them
- a referral from your endocrinologist or another doctor, if you have one
- a list of the medicines you take
How the scan is done
You lie on your back with a small roll under your shoulders, so your head tips back a little. The doctor puts gel on your neck and moves the probe over the front. Sometimes they ask you to swallow or turn your head to see the upper poles of the lobes better.
It does not hurt. The scan takes 15-20 minutes, a bit longer if the neck lymph nodes are checked too. The doctor explains the result straight away. You get the written report with sizes and a nodule map on the same day. The doctor marks each nodule on the map and measures it in three planes. Next time there is something to compare with. You get a tissue to wipe off the gel.
The scan is safe in pregnancy and for children of any age. Ultrasound uses no radiation.
Normal thyroid volume
The volume is the sum of the right and left lobes. The isthmus is not counted. In children the norm depends on age and body surface area. For adults doctors use these guides:
| Measure | Normal range for adults |
|---|---|
| Total volume, women | up to 18 ml |
| Total volume, men | up to 25 ml |
| Isthmus thickness | up to 4-5 mm |
| Structure | even, medium echogenicity |
| Nodules and cysts | none |
These numbers are a rough guide. Volume shifts a little with age and weight. In pregnancy the gland can grow. That is normal. Your doctor reads the result together with your hormones and symptoms.
Reading the report
Low and uneven echogenicity often points to autoimmune thyroiditis, especially with raised TPO antibodies. A gland above the normal size is called a goitre. Cysts are pockets of fluid, usually small and harmless. Colloid nodules are the most common type of benign nodule.
The doctor grades each nodule with the TI-RADS system: content, echogenicity, shape, margins, calcium spots. The higher the score from 1 to 5, the more worrying features it has. Tiny calcium spots, a nodule that is taller than it is wide, blurred margins and a very dark look push the score up. A spongy nodule or a simple cyst is almost always benign. TI-RADS 1-2 nodules are usually benign. For TI-RADS 4-5 and a size from 1-1.5 cm the doctor orders a fine needle biopsy. Read more about thyroid biopsy.
Do not panic if the report mentions a nodule. Most nodules do not affect hormones and do not need surgery. Monitoring is enough. Size, TI-RADS features and change over time matter most. That is why follow-up scans are best done at one clinic. If the report uses a term you do not understand, ask the doctor right after the scan. They will explain it in plain words.
Nodules, thyroiditis and goitre
Thyroid nodules are very common. Studies show that after 50, every second person has them on ultrasound, and the vast majority are benign. Most people never feel them. They show up by chance on a scan done for another reason. The danger lies in the rare nodules with worrying features. Each one is described separately and watched over time. If there are several nodules or the gland is enlarged, the doctor talks about a nodular goitre.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's) looks like low, patchy echogenicity, sometimes with thin streaks. The gland slowly loses function, and over time hypothyroidism develops. In Graves' disease the gland is enlarged and Doppler shows very strong blood flow. These patterns tell the endocrinologist where to look even before the full work-up.
In pregnancy and in children
In pregnancy your body needs more thyroid hormone, and your baby's brain development depends on it. With a changed TSH, nodules or a history of thyroiditis, an endocrinologist often orders the scan while you plan a pregnancy and checks the gland until delivery. The scan is safe for mother and baby.
Children have the scan for slow growth, a swollen neck, a changed TSH, or if their mother has thyroiditis. Norms in children depend on age and body surface area. The doctor notes the child's height and weight on the referral or measures them before the scan.
Frequently asked questions
What can the scan show if my blood tests are normal?
Nodules and cysts that do not affect hormones. A lump on the neck needs a scan even with a normal TSH.
Can ultrasound show cancer?
It shows nodules with worrying features. Only cytology after a needle biopsy can say for sure if a nodule is benign. The scan decides who needs a biopsy and who can just be monitored.
How often should I have it?
With no nodules and no symptoms, once every few years is enough. With a nodule, usually every 6-12 months. Your endocrinologist sets the exact interval.
Does my period affect the result?
No. The day of the cycle does not matter for this scan. Come on any day that suits you.
Do I need a referral?
No, you can book yourself. With a referral the doctor knows what to look at closely.
How much is the scan with a consultation?
The endocrinologist consultation is paid separately. See the table below. It is easy to book the scan and the consultation on the same day.
Thyroid ultrasound price
The scan costs UAH 1,160 with a doctor of the Diagnostic Department and UAH 1,385 with Natalia Riepina, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine. The price depends only on who does the scan. When you compare clinics, price is not the only thing that counts. The machine and the doctor's experience decide whether a small nodule gets noticed. A check of the neck lymph nodes is a separate line in the price list.
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Thyroid gland | UAH 1,160 |
| Thyroid gland, by Honoured Doctor of Ukraine N. Riepina | UAH 1,385 |
| Peripheral lymph nodes (one body area) | UAH 1,175 |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | UAH 460 |
| TSH receptor antibodies | UAH 825 |
| Endocrinologist consultation, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine L. Taran | UAH 2,160 |
| Molecular genetic test of a thyroid needle sample (BRAF, TERT, KRAS, NRAS, HRAS, RET/PTC, PAX8/PPARG) | UAH 4,360 |
Prices are taken from the clinic's price list as of 12.10.2026. They may change. Please check the current cost with the contact centre.
Why choose Oberig Clinic for a thyroid ultrasound
- 17 ultrasound machines, 7 of them expert class, including the ACUSON Sequoia by Siemens with Doppler modes to check blood flow in nodules.
- Natalia Riepina, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine and EFSUMB member, performs the scan along with other ultrasound doctors of the Diagnostic Department.
- Endocrinologists Liliia Taran, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine, and Olena Antoniuk, PhD, treat patients with nodules, thyroiditis and hormone problems.
- You can have an ultrasound-guided biopsy, cytology, molecular testing and surgery with endocrine surgeon Professor Andrii Kovalenko, MD, all at one clinic.
Address: 3 Zoolohichna St., buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. The lab is in the same building, so you can do your hormone tests on the day of the scan. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.
Thyroid ultrasound?
