MAXIMAL STIFFNESS EVALUATION BY REAL-TIME ULTRASOUND ELASTOGRAPHY, AN IMPROVED TOOL FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID NODULES

2015 
ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a new ultrasound elastography (USE) parameter based on the measurement of the percentage of maximal stiffness within a nodule as compared with the already established elastographic strain index (SI) and to investigate their diagnostic performance according to nodule size. Methods: The study included 218 nodules. Each nodule underwent conventional ultrasound (US), USE evaluation, and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Thyroid nodules were further stratified into 4 subgroups (G) according to their size (G1, 3 cm). USE evaluation comprised the measurement of the percentage of the areas included in the region of interest corresponding to the maximal stiffness (% Index) and of the SI. Results: The % Index and of the SI were significantly higher in malignant than in benign thyroid nodules, and both measurements displayed a good diagnostic performance (SI sensitivity and specificity, 0.66 and 0.90,...
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