Vascularisation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules: CD US evaluation

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Doppler ultrasound (DUS) identifies blood flow in thyroid tumors.
• Its precise role in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules is not fully established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of DUS in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
• To correlate vascular patterns and spectral Doppler parameters with nodule type.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of DUS vascularization patterns (0-4) and spectral parameters (PSV, EDV, RI) in 70 thyroid nodules (50 benign, 20 malignant).
• Categorization of vascularity based on internal and peripheral flow.
• Measurement of peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and calculation of resistance index (RI).

Main Results:

• Malignant nodules showed a higher prevalence of vascularization patterns 3 and 4.
• Benign nodules were more frequently associated with patterns 1, 2, and 3.
• Significantly lower EDV and higher RI were observed in malignant nodules compared to benign ones.
• An RI threshold of >= 0.70 demonstrated 80% sensitivity and 92% specificity for malignancy.

Conclusions:

• DUS vascularization patterns, particularly internal flow, and RI >= 0.70 can reliably distinguish malignant from benign thyroid nodules.
• Nodules with predominant peripheral vascularization and low RI (<0.70) are likely benign.