Does Ultrasound Elastography Improve the Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Predicting Malignancy in Thyroid Nodules?
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- Category: Vol. 82, June 2014
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Does Ultrasound Elastography Improve the Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Predicting Malignancy in Thyroid Nodules?, OMNIA MOKHTAR and NEVEIN TAHON
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to correlate between real time ultrasound elastography (ultrasound strain imaging) and fine needle aspiration cytology in predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules.
Patients and Methods: Prospective study included 96 patients with painless thyroid nodules, either solitary nodule or dominant nodule in the sitting of multinodular goiter who presented at Radiology Department, National cancer Institute, Cairo University. Conventional ultrasound and elastography were performed for all cases followed by FNAC and further pathological anylasis of excised lesion following surgery in suspicious cases.
Results: Among the 96 studied cases, 35 (36.5%) had a final histopathological diagnosis of malignancy. The remaining 61 cases (63.5%) had a benign diagnosis on histopathological examination. 57 cases were classified by elastography as score 1 and 2 (negative), all of which were proved to be benign on histopathology (true negative) and no false negative cases. The remaining 39 cases were referred to surgery due to score 3,4, or 5. Of these 35 cases (89.7%) were proved to be malignant on histopathological reports (true positive) and 4 cases (10.3%) were diagnosed as benign (false positive).
Conclusion: US-elastography is a promising technique that is easy and rapid to perform and can help to identify thyroid nodules that are likely to be malignant.