Shear wave elastography combined with the thyroid imaging reporting and data system for malignancy risk...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Thyroid nodules are common, requiring accurate differentiation between benign and malignant types.
• Current diagnostic methods can be limited in definitively classifying thyroid nodules.
• Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for appropriate patient management and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography (SWE) and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules.
• To assess the combined utility of SWE and TI-RADS for improved thyroid nodule risk stratification.
• To determine the accuracy of specific SWE elasticity indices and their correlation with malignancy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 313 thyroid nodules from 227 patients.
• Application of shear wave elastography (SWE) to measure elasticity indices (Emax, Emean, Emin, ER).
• Classification of nodules using Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) based on gray-scale ultrasonography features.
• Comparison of diagnostic performance of individual and combined SWE and TI-RADS methods.

Main Results:

• Both SWE and TI-RADS showed significantly higher values in malignant nodules compared to benign ones (P < 0.001).
• The optimal SWE cut-off for Emax (51.95 kPa) yielded 81.44% sensitivity and 83.19% specificity.
• The 'tandem' combination of SWE and TI-RADS achieved 95.80% specificity, while the 'parallel' method demonstrated 94.85% sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• Shear wave elastography and TI-RADS are effective tools for differentiating malignant and benign thyroid nodules.
• Combined SWE and TI-RADS approaches offer enhanced diagnostic accuracy and improved risk stratification for thyroid nodules.
• These integrated methods provide a valuable and simple tool for clinical decision-making in thyroid nodule assessment.