Application of Shear Wave Elastography in the Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules of Thyroid Imaging Report and Data System

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore whether shear wave elastography has diagnostic value in distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid imaging report and data system (TI-RADS) nodules, so as to provide more accurate information for clinical diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules. In this study, 134 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent ultrasound examination from February 2018 to October 2018 are collected. Firstly, according to the diagnostic criteria proposed by Horvath, TI-RADS grading is performed on them, and 78 patients with TI-RADS4 single solid nodules are screened out. Secondly, conventional ultrasound examination is performed on all the researchers, and shear wave elastographies are obtained 1 week after the examination. Thirdly, parameters of each lesion are measured by ultrasound physicians, and the maximum, minimum and average values of Young's modulus of each lesion are recorded. The results show that the mean and maximum of Young's modulus of benign lesions are (26.31 ± 9.88) kPa and (51.36 ± 14.51) kPa, respectively, the mean and maximum of Young's modulus of malignant lesions are (48.36 ± 16.53) and (69.15 ± 19.98) kPa, respectively, and the area under the ROC curve of Emean and Emax is 0.852 and 0.748, respectively. Therefore, shear wave elastography is a new type of ultrasound elastography, which has the advantages of objectivity and little influence from operators without artificial pressure. It has high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in diagnosing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Among them, the average value of Young's modulus has the greatest diagnostic value.