Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 3, 2026
Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
Value of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Diagnosing Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Papillary
Muzhen He1, Cailing Lin2, Lei Yin1
1From the Departments of Radiology.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine the value of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer.
Methods:
The normalized iodine concentration (NIC) and the slope of the spectral Hounsfield unit curve (λHU) in the arterial and venous phases were measured using iodine-overlay images and spectral curves. Quantitative DECT data and qualitative conventional CT data were analyzed by radiologists.
Results:
The best qualitative parameter for lymph node metastasis detection was obvious node enhancement, and the best quantitative parameter for detection was arterial-phase NIC, which showed high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values at an optimal threshold of 25.8%. The best combination of qualitative and quantitative parameters consisted of obvious enhancement and arterial-phase NIC; this combination showed a sensitivity of 90.8% and a specificity of 80.5%.
Conclusions:
The DECT quantitative parameters NIC and λHU can be an additional tool to diagnose cervical lymph node metastasis.
