Evaluation of parenchymal thyroid diseases with multiparametric ultrasonography

Abstract

Aim:Differential diagnosis of parenchymal thyroid diseases by gray-scale ultrasound is quite difficult for a radiologist as the findings are very similar to each other. In this study we aimed to assess some quantitative spectral Doppler parameters, resistivity index (RI), acceleration time (AT), and quantitative elastography [shear wave velocity (SWV)] together to show their reliability for differential diagnosis of parenchymal thyroid diseases.Materials and Methods:We retrospectively reviewed findings of 227 patients (179 females, 48 males) that underwent spectral Doppler ultrasound and acoustic radiation force impulse between October 2013 and March 2016. Ages of the patients were between 18 and 74 years (39.52 ± 12.67). Based on clinical and laboratory findings, patients were divided into five groups (N: Normal, EH: Early Hashimoto, H: Late Hashimoto, M: Nodular Thyroid Disease, HM: Hashimoto + Nodular Thyroid Disease). Detailed statistical analyses were done on parameters such as age, gender, volume information, and RI, AT (ms), SWV (m/s).Results:No significant effect of gender or volume on the differentiation of disease pattern (Chi-square test: P = 0.306, Kruskal-Wallis test: P = 0.290) was found in this study. RI (0.41 ± 0.06) and SWV values (1.19 ± 0.18 m/s) were the lowest. AT values (>55 ms) were the highest in EH group (area under the curve: 0.913). Existence of H decreased RI and SWV values, while it extended AT in a different thyroid disease.Conclusion:Thyroid parenchymal diseases could be classified and differentiated from each other by measuring RI, AT, and SWV values quantitatively. So, in suspicious cases, these parameters could be a reliable asset for differential diagnosis.

Evaluation of Parenchymal Thyroid Diseases Using Ultrasonography

“…Patients were divided into five groups such as group I (normal); group II had first detected, early untreated Hashimoto disease (EH); group III comprised of chronic Hashimoto patients that are under treatment and/or follow up (H); group IV had multinodular parenchymal hyperplasia (M); and group V had nodular hyperplasia with Hashimoto (HM). Yildirim et al, [11] in their study [12] in their study assessed of thyroid diseases by ultrasound in 167 patients. The study groups were classified into 9 groups.…”