Ultrasound Elastography and Cytological Analysis for Effective Thyroid Nodule Classification

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Oncology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Traditional methods for thyroid nodule (TN) diagnosis, including manual palpation and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), have limitations in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions.
• Accurate differentiation is crucial for appropriate patient management and avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound elastography (USE) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules (TNs).
• To assess the potential of USE as an adjunct to conventional diagnostic techniques in a tertiary care setting.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 33 patients with solitary thyroid nodules (TNs) detected via ultrasonography (USG).
• Patients underwent USG, ultrasound elastography (USE), and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
• Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of USE were calculated and compared with cytological findings.

Main Results:

• Histological evaluation confirmed 39.4% of TNs as malignant (predominantly papillary carcinoma) and 60.6% as benign (mostly colloid nodules).
• Ultrasound elastography (USE) demonstrated high diagnostic efficacy with a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 92.3%.
• A significant correlation was observed between elastography findings and cytological outcomes (P = 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound elastography (USE) shows significant potential as a novel, accurate method for differentiating solid thyroid nodules (TNs).
• USE can effectively guide the selection of optimal sites for fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), improving diagnostic yield.