Evaluation of Normal Thyroid Tissue and Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Children Using Shear Wave Elastography

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology

Background:

• Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive ultrasound method for assessing tissue elasticity.
• While established for adult thyroid conditions, its utility in pediatric thyroid evaluation is unexplored.
• Autoimmune thyroiditis is a common endocrine disorder in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normal thyroid tissue elasticity values in children and adolescents using SWE.
• To investigate the diagnostic role of SWE in pediatric autoimmune thyroiditis.
• To compare SWE findings in healthy children versus those with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Main Methods:

• 113 healthy children and 57 children with autoimmune thyroiditis underwent B-mode ultrasound and SWE.
• Shear wave velocity (SWV) in meters per second (m/s) quantified thyroid parenchyma elasticity.
• Statistical analysis, including receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, was employed.

Main Results:

• Mean SWV in healthy children was 1.82±0.3 m/s, increasing with age.
• Children with autoimmune thyroiditis showed significantly higher mean SWV (3.7±1.2 m/s) (p=0.00).
• A cut-off SWV of 2.39 m/s achieved 97.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosing pediatric autoimmune thyroiditis.

Conclusions:

• SWE is a valuable, user-independent imaging tool for pediatric thyroid evaluation.
• It demonstrates high accuracy in differentiating autoimmune thyroiditis from normal thyroid tissue in children.
• SWE can be integrated into routine ultrasonography for diagnosing pediatric thyroid conditions.