The Academy of Clinical Thyroidologists (or ACT) was founded in May 2005 at the annual meeting of the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) in Washington DC. The Academy is a professional society consisting of 32 members from the U.S. and Italy who specialize in clinical thyroidology

Thyroidologist

A thyroidologist is a medical practitioner specializing in the thyroid and related areas.In the United States it refers to a board certified endocrinologist physician, who is either a full time academician with multiple responsibilities beside thyroid patient care, or a clinical thyroidologist...

. ACT enourages skill development in diagnostic and interventional ultrasound

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...

, nuclear thyroidology, and cytopathology

Cytopathology

Cytopathology is a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level. The discipline was founded by Rudolf Virchow in 1858. A common application of cytopathology is the Pap smear, used as a screening tool, to detect precancerous cervical lesions and prevent cervical...

 to promote excellence in clinical practice and optimal outcomes for patients.

Founding Members

• H.Jack Baskin MD
  Doctor of Medicine
  Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
  
  
• Daniel Duick MD
• Richard Guttler MD

Charter

The academy meets twice a year, and accept board certified new members who pledge to provide patient

Patient

A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....

s with the state of the art thyroid

Thyroid

The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...

 treatment; for example ultrasound, ultrasound

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...

 guided biopsy

Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...

, Interventional thyroid ultrasound to treat thyroid cysts, and cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 lymph node

Lymph node

A lymph node is a small ball or an oval-shaped organ of the immune system, distributed widely throughout the body including the armpit and stomach/gut and linked by lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes are garrisons of B, T, and other immune cells. Lymph nodes are found all through the body, and act as...

s with ethanol

Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...

, percutaneous ethanol injections (PEI), nuclear thyroid studies, such as I/123,131 uptakes, scan

Scan

Scan may refer to:Acronyms:*Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry , a psychiatric diagnostic tool developed by WHO*Shared Check Authorization Network , a database of bad check writers and collection agency for bad checks...

s, and therapy doses of I/131 for Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer

Thyroid neoplasm is a neoplasm or tumor of the thyroid. It can be a benign tumor such as thyroid adenoma, or it can be a malignant neoplasm , such as papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected...

, Graves' disease

Graves' disease

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease where the thyroid is overactive, producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones...

, Toxic Nodular Goiter

Goitre

A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...

, and large obstructive Nontoxic Nodular Goiters.