Impact of nodular size on the predictive values of gray-scale, color-Doppler ultrasound, and sonoelastography for assessment of thyroid nodules

• Published in: Journal of Zhejiang University. B. Science Vol. 13; no. 9; pp. 707 - 716
• Main Authors: Hong, Yu-rong, Wu, Yu-lian, Luo, Zhi-yan, Wu, Ning-bo, Liu, Xue-ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Zhejiang University Press 01.09.2012; Springer Nature B.V; Zhejiang University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Benign; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Calcinosis - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Papillary - diagnostic imaging; Diagnosis, Differential; Elasticity Imaging Techniques; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Thyroid Nodule - blood supply; Thyroid Nodule - diagnostic imaging; Thyroid Nodule - pathology; Thyroiditis, Subacute - diagnostic imaging; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Young Adult; Nodule size; R581.3; Ultrasound; Sonoelastography; Thyroid nodules
• ISSN: 1673-1581; 1862-1783; 1862-1783
• DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1100342

Objective： To define the roles of gray-scale, color-Doppler ultrasound, and sonoelastography for the assessment of thyroid nodule to determine whether nodule size affects the differential diagnosis of benign and ma- lignant. Methods： A total of 243 consecutive subjects （214 women, 29 men） with 329 thyroid nodules were examined by gray-scale, color-Doppler ultrasound, and sonoelastography in this prospective study. All patients underwent surgery and the final diagnosis was obtained from histopathological examination. Results： Three hundred and twenty-nine nodules （208 benign, 121 malignant） were divided into small （SNs, 5-10 mm, n=137） and large （LNs, 〉10 mm, n=192） nodules. Microcalcifications were more frequent in malignant LNs than in malignant SNs, but showed no sig- nificant difference between benign LNs and SNs. Poorly-circumscribed margins were not significantly different be- tween malignant SNs and LNs, but were less frequent in benign LNs than in benign SNs. Among all nodules, marked intranodular vascularity was more frequent in LNs than in SNs. By comparison, shape ratio of anteroposterior to transverse dimensions （A/T） 〉1 was less frequent in LNs than in SNs. Otherwise, among all nodules, marked hypoechogenicity and elasticity score of 4-6 showed no significant difference between LNs and SNs. Conclusions： The predictive values of microcalcifications, nodular margins, A/T ratio, and marked intranodular vascularity depend on nodule size, but the predictive values of echogenicity and elastography do not.