Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by ultrasonography

Abstract

Objective To explore the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods From February 2015 to March 2016, eighty nine cases with 131 thyroid nodules were treated in Huangshi Central Hospital and underwent gray-scale ultrasound and color doppler ultrasound. The sonographic features of benign and malignant nodules were compared. Results In the 131 nodules, 72 nodules were benign, and 59 were malignant; benign nodules were mainly follicular hyperplasia (83.33%), and malignant nodules were mainly papillary carcinoma (88.14%). There were statistically significant differences in morphology, boundary, posterior attenuation and calcification characteristics between benign and malignant nodules ( χ2=9.133, 13.384, 15.782, 15.728, 8.285, all P<0.01), while no significant difference in internal echo. There were statistically significant differences in ring blood flow, perforating blood flow, branch situation, running situation, and the resistance index ( χ2=9.133, 13.384, 15.782, 15.728, 8.285, all P<0.01), while no significant difference in the richness degree of blood flow. The sensitivity of gray-scale ultrasound in detecting malignant nodules was 67.80%, the specificity was 73.61%, the positive predictive value was 67.80%, the negative predictive value was 73.61%. The sensitivity of Color Doppler ultrasound was 73.47%, specificity was 73.61%, positive predictive value was 65.45%, negative predictive value was 80.30%. The sensitivity of gray scale ultrasound + color Doppler ultrasound was 74.58%, the specificity was 87.50%, the positive predictive value was 83.02%, the negative predictive value was 80.77%. Conclusion Ultrasonic standardization inspection has good application value in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and the gray scale ultrasonography combined with color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic is worthy of clinical application. Key words: Ultrasonography; Thyroid nodule; Diagnosis, differential; Benign; Malignant