"Sir, this patient has a nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid gland on ultrasonography. It is 8X10 mm in size."
We were taking round of one of our wards, when the Registrar informed me.
"Why did we ask for an ultrasonic scan of the thyroid, when she has no goiter and no symptoms or signs of thyroid dysfunction?" I asked. "Is the nodule palpable?"
"No, Sir. We did not ask for the scan too. In fact, the patient says they did not even touch the thyroid gland with ultrasonography probe."
"Huh?" I said and looked at the patient. She nodded.
"How can they report such a scan without touching the thyroid gland?" someone asked.
"It must be a mix up" I said. "Two patients may have undergone scans on adjacent tables at the same time, and they might have given report of one patient to the other one."
"So what shall we do now?" the Registrar asked.
"We can ask for a scan by a senior person" I said. "There will be no nodule on that scan. They may report that as the first case of lysis of a thyroid nodule with diagnostic ultrasonic waves."
They took a few seconds to read my sarcasm and laughed.
We were taking round of one of our wards, when the Registrar informed me.
"Why did we ask for an ultrasonic scan of the thyroid, when she has no goiter and no symptoms or signs of thyroid dysfunction?" I asked. "Is the nodule palpable?"
"No, Sir. We did not ask for the scan too. In fact, the patient says they did not even touch the thyroid gland with ultrasonography probe."
"Huh?" I said and looked at the patient. She nodded.
"How can they report such a scan without touching the thyroid gland?" someone asked.
"It must be a mix up" I said. "Two patients may have undergone scans on adjacent tables at the same time, and they might have given report of one patient to the other one."
"So what shall we do now?" the Registrar asked.
"We can ask for a scan by a senior person" I said. "There will be no nodule on that scan. They may report that as the first case of lysis of a thyroid nodule with diagnostic ultrasonic waves."
They took a few seconds to read my sarcasm and laughed.
