Clinical value of elasticity imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Li,Fengsheng; Zhang,Jianlei; Wang,Yunmei; Liu,Liwen

doi:10.3892/ol.2015.3387

Clinical value of elasticity imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Authors:
- Fengsheng Li
- Jianlei Zhang
- Yunmei Wang
- Liwen Liu
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Affiliations: Department of Ultrasound, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China, Department of Ultrasonography, Yan'an People's Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, P.R. China, Department of Ultrasonography, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, P.R. China
Published online on: June 17, 2015 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2015.3387
Pages: 1371-1377
Copyright: © Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the value of elasticity imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (TMC). In total, 73 patients exhibiting a total of 80 small thyroid nodules, which were difficult to diagnose using conventional ultrasonography, underwent elasticity imaging and CEUS. The diagnostic findings were subsequently clarified by intraoperative and pathological examination, and the accuracy of the 2 diagnostic methods was compared. The correct diagnostic rate of CEUS was 85% (68/80 nodules), of which 6 cases of TMC were misdiagnosed as benign lesions and 6 benign nodules were misdiagnosed as TMC. By contrast, the accuracy rate of the elasticity imaging, based on the 5‑point diagnostic method, was 92.5% (74/80 nodules), of which 3 cases of TMC were misdiagnosed as benign nodules and 3 benign nodules were misdiagnosed as TMC. Furthermore, elasticity imaging in the diagnosis of TMC was determined to have sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates of 94.0, 90.0 and 92.5%, respectively, whereas the corresponding rates for CEUS were 88.0, 80.0 and 85.0%, respectively. Thus, ultrasonographic elasticity imaging exhibited significant advantages in the diagnosis of TMC compared with CEUS (P<0.05). The use of CEUS demonstrates no evident advantage in the diagnosis of TMC; however, an elasticity score of ≥3 is of high clinical value as a diagnostic criterion for TMC.

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