PubMed1989
Standardized diagnosis of thyroid diseases includes 3 levels of diagnostic investigation proper based on the syndromic approach and distributed by 3 levels of providing medical care to population. At the 1st level of primary health care the use of "active" detectability ensures timely detection of symptomless thyroid cancer at early stages and early detection of the syndrome of its disturbance and makes it possible to start the prevention of functional and organic changes. At the second level of providing specialized medical care the role of adjuvant diagnostic methods acquires more importance (ultrasound investigations, radioimmunoassay, diagnostic puncture, thyroid lymphography) which are characterized by minimum dose formation, sufficient simplicity, reliability, low cost, a possibility to be widely employed in clinical practice, and safety. The 3rd level (scanning, endoscopy, angiography, CT, NMR) depends on the availability of expensive equipment employed in specialized clinical and diagnostic centers. The proposed algorithms of investigation can be changed in case of the appearance of new more informative and efficient diagnostic methods.