Shear-Wave Elastography for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Shear-wave elastography (SWE) has emerged as a novel ultrasonographic technique for the diagnosis of pediatric Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT). This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize current evidence to determine the diagnostic value of SWE for HT. MEDLINE, a comprehensive search yielded five studies inclusive of 392 subjects. A meta-analysis comparing SWE values (kPa) between children with HT and healthy controls yielded a Cohen's d-value of 1.34 (CI 1.02-1.65), suggesting statistically significant differences in SWE values. Such evidence indicates that SWE may serve as a valuable tool in diagnosing HT in the pediatric population.