Athanasios N. Chalazonitis MD, MPH, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Zoi Antoniou BMedSc, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Christina Gkali MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Semiquantitive, Quantitive and Qualitative Elastography, as an adjunctive technique to conventional ultrasonography comparing both imaging methods with cytological results.

55 consenting patients with thyroid nodules meeting the ultrasonographic criteria for further testing with Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), underwent both Strain Elastography (SE) and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging. SE provides qualitative assessment of the tissue hardness. Strain ratio consist a Semiquantitative type of Elastography. ARFI is divided into two types: a) Virtual Touch tissue Imaging (VTI) which provides the relative stiffness in qualitative way in the selected region of interest (ROI) on a gray scale image and b) Virtual Touch tissue Quantification (VTQ) which describes quantitatively the hardness of tissue. FNA was performed to all nodules and the results of the Elastography were compared to the cytological results.

Out of the 55 examined nodules, 51 with negative SE and ARFI elasticity proved to be benign. Out of the 4 remaining nodules, all had suspicious elastographic findings, 3 proved to be malignant (2 papillary carcinomas, 1 follicular carcinoma) and 1 proved to be benign.

Ultrasound Elastography is a relatively new and advanced clinical application, easily implemented, fast and reproducible. Combined Semiquantitave, Quantitative and Qualitative Eastography as an adjunctive tool to conventional ultrasonography can improve the diagnostic accuracy and the sensitivity to malignant thyroid nodules.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Semiquantitative, Quantitative and Qualitative Ultrasound Elastography in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Chalazonitis, A, Antoniou, Z, Gkali, C, Thyroid Nodules Ultrasound Assessment with Semiquantitive, Quantitive and Qualitative Elastography: Comparison with Cytological Results.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14009498.html