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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Author Spotlight: Integrating Ultrasound Imaging with Biochemical Markers for Thyroid Disease Diagnosis
Published on: February 9, 2024
US-Elastography With Different Techniques for Thyroid Nodule Characterization: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Vito Cantisani1, Annalisa De Silvestri2, Valeria Scotti2
1Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Thyroid nodules are frequent in adult population and thyroid cancer incidence has increased dramatically over the past three decades. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the US-Elastosonography (USE) diagnostic performance in assessing the thyroid nodules malignancy risk.
Methods:
PubMed and Embase databases were searched from January 2011 to July 2021. We extracted data from selected studies and calculated the overall diagnostic accuracy of qualitative USE, semi-quantitative USE and quantitative USE. Summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was elaborated to show the results. All statistical tests were performed using Metadisc and Medcal software package.
Results:
Finally 72 studies with 13,505 patients and 14,015 thyroid nodules (33% malignant) undergoing elastography were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC were 84%, 81%, and 0.89 respectively for qualitative USE; 83%, 80%, and 0.93 for semi-quantitative USE and 78%, 81% and 0.87, for quantitative USE. The qualitative and semiquantitative USE present very similar diagnostic accuracy values and both better than the quantitative USE.
Conclusions:
USE is a useful imaging tool for thyroid nodule characterization. In accordance with recent guidelines and meta-analyses, the USE could be used daily in thyroid nodule malignancy risk stratification.
Systematic Review Registration:
PROSPERO: CRD42021279257.
