[Current Advances and Future Development of Thyroid Ultrasound Examination--Steps toward State-of-the-Art Laboratory Medicine in Fukushima].

Since the accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, large quantities of radionuclides have leaked into the surrounding environment. Fukushima Prefecture started the Fukushima Health Management Survey Project including Thyroid Ultrasound Examination to screen for thyroid cancer in all residents aged 0 to 18 years at the time of the nuclear accident. This accident also led to increased interest in thyroid ultrasound examination in Japan. This article reviews the studies to establish ultrasound diagnostic criteria for thyroid nodules and the clinical guidelines of thyroid nodule management, both of which are fundamental to Thyroid Ultrasound Examination in Fukushima. This article also reviews a study designed to clarify the actual frequency of sonographically detected thyroid nodular lesions among Japanese children, which will become appropriate reference data to interpret the results from Thyroid Ultrasound Examination. Further advances in the screening and management of thyroid diseases are important responsibilities of clinicians and researchers in Fukushima.