The Differential Diagnosis Of The Thyroid Nodules:Value Of The Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Compared With Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging

Objective The aim of this study was to study the characteristics of CEUS and ARFI in thyroid nodules, and to explore the value of CEUS and ARFI in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods90patients with110thyroid nodules (74benign and36malignant thyroid nodules) were included in the study. Each patients were underwent conventional ultrasound, CEUS and ARFI respectively. Enhanced patterns of CEUS and VTQ of thyroid nodules were obtained. Then in a double blind method, using CEUS, ARFI and combined the two ultrasound techniques for the analysis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. To use pathology as the gold standard, accessing the accuracy of CEUS and ARFI in the differential diagnostic performance of each method.Results In110nodules, there were74benign thyroid nodules, and36malignant thyroid nodules. Most Benign nodules showed ring-enhancement and equality enhancement, malignant nodules showed hypo-enhancement. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CEUS were88.9%,89.2%,89.1%,80.0%and94.3%respectively. With a cut-off value of2.59m/s for VTQ value, The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy,positive predictive value, negative predictive value for malignancy were83.3%,89.2%,87.3%,78.9%and91.7%respectively, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CEUS combined ARFI were94.4%,85.1%,88.2%,75.6%and96.9%, respectively.Conclusions Both CEUS and ARFI have high value in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, there have no difference between the two ultrasound technology in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The combination of two methods can improve the diagnostic rate, reduce the missed.