Application of Real-time Ultrasound Elastography in Diagnosing Benign and Malignant Thyroid Solid Nodules

Objective Real-time ultrasound elastography(US-E) is a helpful tool in diagnosing thyroid nodules.This study aims to evaluate thyroid solid nodules,to establish the accuracy of US-E in providing information on the nature of these nodules,and to assess the clinical value of elasticity scores(ES) and strain ratio(SR) in differentiating thyroid solid nodules and to explore its distribution characteristics using pathological analysis as reference. Methods Traditional ultrasonography and US-E were performed on 131 thyroid solid nodules(99 benign ones and 32 malignant ones) in 120 patients(78 females and 41 males).Three radiologists evaluated the nodules based on a four-degree elasticity scoring system.The nodules were classified according to the ES as soft(ES 1-2) or hard(ES 3-4).The SR was calculated online. Results The sensitivity and specificity of the ES for thyroid cancer diagnosis were 78%and 80%,respectively.SR values > 2.9 used as a standard to distinguish benign from malignant nodules had a sensitivity of 87%and a specificity of 92%.The SR of the benign lesions was 1.64±1.37,which was significantly different from that of malignant lesions,which was 4.96±2.13(P<0.01). Conclusions Both the ES and SR were higher in malignant nodules than those in benign ones.Real-time US-E was a useful index in the differential diagnosis of thyroid solid nodules.It can provide quantitative information on thyroid nodule characterization and improve diagnostic confidence.

Correlation between thyroid function and nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone

Objective： The purpose of the study wass to explore the correlation between thyroid function and nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone. Methods： We collected 120 cases about nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone and 128 cases about nodular goiter and establish 50 healthy control groups. Detected t level of hyrotropic hormone （TSH）, total triio- dothyronine （TT3）, total thyroxine in the peripheral venous blood of these cases in the three groups by using electrochemilu- minescenca immunoassay, measure level of total cholesterol （TC）, high-density tipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and total bile acid （TBA） levels by using enzymic method, and observed the changes of thyroid function and blood lipid among the three groups. Results： The serum TT3 level in nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone group and the nodular goiter group was significantly lower than that in control group （P 〈 0.01）, and TSH level in the nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone group is significantly higher than that in control group （P 〈 0.01）, There were no statistical significance about difference of TT4 level among the three groups （P 〉 0.05）. Accordingly, TC and LDL-C level in nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone group was significantly higher than that in nodular goiter and control group （P 〈 0.01）, while TBA level in nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone group was significantly lower than that in simple nodular goiter group and control group （P 〈 0.01）. There was no statistical significance about difference of TC and LDL-C level between simple nodular goiter group and control group （P 〉 0.05）. The HDL-C level in nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone group and control group was higher than that in simple nodular goiter group （P 〈 0.01）. Conclusion： The originating etiologic factor of nodular goiter accompanied with gallstone may be related to that the decreased TT3 induced sub-clinical hypothyroidism.

正确处理身上的包块

不是所有的包块都要担心，我们帮你识别身上的包块。 1．甲状腺节结 触摸的感觉如何？摸起来有些硬，不疼，在颈部的下半区。为什么会有？如证明甲状腺节是良性的，医生会观察。若有其他的甲状腺症状，得用药物治疗或者化疗才能使节结缩小。

Diagnostic value of computed tomography(CT) histogram analysis in thyroid benign solitary coarse calcification nodules

This study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the computed tomography（CT） histogram in thyroid benign solitary coarse calcification nodules（BSCNs）. A total of 89 thyroid solitary coarse calcification nodules（coarse calcification ≥5 mm, no definite soft tissue around calcification） confirmed either by surgery or histopathological examination in 86 cases enrolled from January 2009 to December 2015 were evaluated. These included 56 BSCNs and 33 malignant solitary coarse calcification nodules（MSCNs）. Overall, 27 cut-off values were calculated by N（4≤N≤30） times of 50 Hounsfield units（HU） in the range of 200 to 1500 HU, and each cut-off value and the differences in the corresponding area percentages in the CT histogram were recorded for BSCN and MSCN. The optimal cut-off value and the corresponding area percentage were established by receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve analysis. In the 19 groups with an ROC area under curve（AUC） of more than 0.7, at a cut-off value of 800 HU and at an area percentage of no more than 93.8%, the ROC AUC reached the maximum of 0.79, and the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 75.3%, 80.4%, and 66.7%, respectively. At a cut-off value of 1050 HU and at an area percentage of no more than 93.6%, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 71.9%, 60.7%, and 90.9%, respectively. At a cut-off of 1150 HU and area of no more than 98.4%, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 70.8%, 57.1%, and 93.9%, respectively. At a cut-off of 600 HU and area of no more than 12.1%, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 61.8%, 39.3%, and 100.0%, respectively. Compared with the cut-off value of 800 HU and an area percentage of no more than 93.8%, the sensitivity of cut-off values and minimum areas of 1050 HU and 93.6%, of 1150 HU and 98.4%, and of 600 HU and 12.1%, was gradually decreasing; however, their specificity was gradually increasing. This can provide an important basis for reducing the misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgical trauma.

Retrospective cytological evaluation of indeterminate thyroid nodules according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification and comparison of clinical evaluation and outcomes

The cytology of 130 indeterminate nodules （Thy 3） was retrospectively reviewed according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification. Nodules were divided into Thy 3a （atypical features） and Thy 3f （follicular lesion） categories. Histology was available as a reference for 97 nodules. Pre-surgical evaluations comprised biochemical tests, color-Doppler ultrasonogrephy （US）, semi-quantitative elastography-US （USE）, contrast-enhanced US （CEUS）, and mutation analysis from cytological slides. Thyroid malignancy was the final diagnosis for 19% of surgically- treated nodules. No statistically significant difference in the risk of malignancy was found between Thy 3a （26%） and Thy 3f （14%） nodules. Histology of the Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules showed a higher incidence of Hurtle cell adenomas in Thy 3f （29%） than in Thy 3a （3%） nodules （P=0.01）. The only pre-surgical difference concerned the BRAF V600E mutation, which was positive in some Thy 3a but not in any Thy 3f nodules （P=0.04）. Receiver-operating characteristic （ROC） analysis was used to obtain cut-off values from US （score）, USE （ELX 2/1 strain index）, and CEUS （time-to- peak index and peak index） data. The cut-off values were similar for Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. Data showed that malignancy can be suspected if the US score is 〉2, ELX 1/2 strain index 〉1, time-to-peakindex 〉1, and peak index 〈1. In a sub-group of 24 revised nodules （12 Thy 3a and 12 Thy 3f） with histology as a reference, the diagnostic power of cumulative pre-surgical analysis by means of US, USE, and CEUS showed high positive and negative predictive values （83% and 100%, respectively） for the presence of malignancy in Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. In conclusion, in our series of revised Thy 3 nodules, malignancy was low and displayed no significant differences between Thy 3a and Thy 3f categories. The use of cut-offs based on histology as a reference could reduce surgery. Our data support the conviction that, in mutation-negative Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules, observation should be the first choice when not all instrumental results are suspect.

Introduction to Quick and Surround Needling Method for Nodular Goiter

Clinically guided by the holistic concept of traditional Chinese medicine and in combination with four diagnostic methods and pattern identification, quick and surround puncture is used for treating nodular goiter, fully displaying the practical application value of the special acupuncture therapy.