Sonoelastography in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules: A histopathological correlation.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Thyroid nodules are highly prevalent, necessitating accurate differentiation between benign and malignant types for appropriate patient management.
• Current diagnostic methods may lead to unnecessary invasive procedures for benign nodules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
• To correlate ARFI imaging findings with histopathological results.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 120 patients with thyroid nodules.
• Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging was performed on all nodules.
• ARFI values were compared between benign and malignant nodules and correlated with histopathology.

Main Results:

• Malignant thyroid nodules exhibited significantly higher mean ARFI values (3.59 ± 0.7 m/s) compared to benign nodules (1.98 ± 0.31 m/s).
• Using a cutoff value of 2.8 m/s, ARFI imaging demonstrated a sensitivity of 92.6% and a specificity of 92.9%.
• Integration of ARFI imaging with conventional ultrasound enhanced diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is a valuable tool for differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules.
• ARFI imaging shows potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce the rate of unnecessary thyroid biopsies.