A thyroidologist is a

medical practitioner A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

specializing in the

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The thy ...

and related areas. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

it refers to a

board certified Board certification is the process by which a physician or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, practical, or simulator-based testing. Certification bodies There are more than 25 boards that ...

endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...

physician, who is either a full time academician with multiple responsibilities beside

patient care, or a clinical thyroidologist. A clinical thyroidologist is a board certified endocrinologist, who cares for a majority of thyroid patients, with few patients experiencing other

endocrine The endocrine system is a messenger system comprising feedback loops of the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neu ...

conditions. In many European countries, not only endocrinologists, but also nuclear medicine specialists work as clinical thyroidologists focusing on diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease. The

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), formerly known as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, is a professional community of physicians specializing in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. AACE's missio ...

(AACE) developed the Endocrine Certification in Neck Ultrasound (ECNU) program. ECNU is a professional certification in the field of neck

ultrasonography Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies fr ...

for Endocrinologists, Thyroidologists, and Thyroidology practices. Those certified in the field perform consultations and diagnostic evaluations for thyroid and parathyroid disorders through both diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (UGFNA). These clinical thyroidologists also take on the role of interventional thyroid radiologists, and specialize in non-surgical procedures such as ablation therapy for thyroid and parathyroid cysts and recurrent neck thyroid cancer lymph nodes. Physicians and medical practitioners who hold the ECNU professional certification are highly specialized thyroidologists in the field of neck ultrasonography. They perform consultations and diagnostic evaluations for thyroid and parathyroid disorders through both diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (UGFNA).

References

{{Reflist Health care occupations Thyroid disease