Benign Thyroid Enlargement Across Racial and Ethnic Groups

Abstract Purpose The objective of this study is to determine if there is a significant correlation between race/ethnicity and total thyroid volume among patients with benign thyroid disease. Our hypothesis is that patients of racial and ethnic minorities may present with enlarged, non-cancerous thyroids more frequently than white patients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of 457 patients (N = 457) diagnosed with benign thyroid disease between 2008 and 2020 at Montefiore Medical Center. Data were taken from an existing database and the electronic health record. The primary outcome was total thyroid volume (cm3/mL) calculated from ultrasound measurements. The secondary outcome was the maximum dimension (cm) of the largest thyroid nodule. Results Black patients had a mean thyroid volume (± SD) of 142.7 (± 131.1) and a mean maximum nodule dimension of 4.3 (± 1.9). White patients had a mean thyroid volume of 74.7 (± 128.0) and a mean maximum nodule size of 3.0 (± 1.5). Race was significantly correlated with total thyroid volume (p = .0007). Black race specifically was significantly correlated with total thyroid volume (p = .0008, 95% CI [.209, .794]) and maximum nodule dimension (p = .05, 95% CI [.006, 1.278]). Conclusion Black patients had significantly larger total thyroid volumes and nodules compared to white patients. Thyroid volume was not associated with measures of socioeconomic status such as insurance type or estimated income. Although these findings illustrate an important relationship between race and thyroid volume, further research is required to determine the etiology of this discrepancy.