Jue Jiang1, Xu Shang1, Hongli Zhang1, Wenqi Ma1, Yongbo Xu1, Qi Zhou2, Ya Gao1, Shanshan Yu1, Yanhua Qi1. 1. Department of Ultrasound, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. 2. Department of Ultrasound, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. zhouqifh@hotmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate contrast-enhanced sonography for differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by analyzing the correlation between maximum intensity and microvessel density. METHODS: From February 2010 to May 2012, 122 patients (85 female and 37 male; mean age ± SD, 45 ± 9.1 years) with thyroid nodules (62 papillary thyroid carcinomas, 30 nodular goiters, and 30 adenomas) that underwent routine thyroid sonography and were diagnosed by surgery were included in this study. Contrast-enhanced sonography was performed, and enhancement patterns were classified into 3 groups: high, equal, and low enhancement. As a time-intensity curve parameter, the correlation of maximum intensity with CD31 and CD34 microvessel density counts was analyzed. RESULTS: On contrast-enhanced sonography, most patients with papillary thyroid carcinomas showed a heterogeneous low enhancement pattern, whereas most patients with nodular goiters showed an equal enhancement pattern, and patients with adenomas showed a high enhancement pattern. The detection of papillary thyroid carcinomas with low enhancement had sensitivity of 96.8%, specificity of 95.0%, and accuracy of 95.9%. Compared with the papillary thyroid group, the mean microvessel density counts were significantly higher in the nodular goiter and adenoma groups (P< .05). We also found that the maximum intensity was significantly associated with CD31 and CD34 counts (CD31, r = 0.963; P < .01; CD34, r = 0.968; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Maximum intensity has a significant relationship with microvessel density. Contrast-enhanced sonography is a practical and convenient means for differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate contrast-enhanced sonography for differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by analyzing the correlation between maximum intensity and microvessel density. METHODS: From February 2010 to May 2012, 122 patients (85 female and 37 male; mean age ± SD, 45 ± 9.1 years) with thyroid nodules (62 papillary thyroid carcinomas, 30 nodular goiters, and 30 adenomas) that underwent routine thyroid sonography and were diagnosed by surgery were included in this study. Contrast-enhanced sonography was performed, and enhancement patterns were classified into 3 groups: high, equal, and low enhancement. As a time-intensity curve parameter, the correlation of maximum intensity with CD31 and CD34 microvessel density counts was analyzed. RESULTS: On contrast-enhanced sonography, most patients with papillary thyroid carcinomas showed a heterogeneous low enhancement pattern, whereas most patients with nodular goiters showed an equal enhancement pattern, and patients with adenomas showed a high enhancement pattern. The detection of papillary thyroid carcinomas with low enhancement had sensitivity of 96.8%, specificity of 95.0%, and accuracy of 95.9%. Compared with the papillary thyroid group, the mean microvessel density counts were significantly higher in the nodular goiter and adenoma groups (P< .05). We also found that the maximum intensity was significantly associated with CD31 and CD34 counts (CD31, r = 0.963; P < .01; CD34, r = 0.968; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Maximum intensity has a significant relationship with microvessel density. Contrast-enhanced sonography is a practical and convenient means for differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
Authors: Thomas Studeny; Wolfgang Kratzer; Julian Schmidberger; Tilmann Graeter; Thomas F E Barth; Andreas Hillenbrand Journal: BMC Med Imaging Date: 2021-10-30 Impact factor: 1.930