Title:The Value of Elastosonography in Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules
VOLUME: 3 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Neriman Defne Altintas and Mustafa Sahin
Affiliation:Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ýbni Sina Hastanesi Ek Bina M-blok Kat:1 06100, Sýhhýye/Ankara, Turkey.
Keywords:Elastography, pseudo-color image pattern, shear wave elastosonography, strain index, thyroid imaging.
Abstract:Elastosonography (ES) is a rapidly evolving technology in the evaluation of nodules occurring in different
tissues. It is based on the assumption that malignant tissues have an altered organization of cells and interstitial elements
leading to a more stiff structure. Thyroid ES by utilizing light external compressions or internal compressions caused by
carotid systolic pulses displays thyroid stiffness either as a color coded pseudo-image pattern or an index of stiffness as
compared to surrounding tissue. It is reported to have especially a high negative predictive value for papillary carcinomas.
Still, to have a place in the algorithms for nodule evaluation further improvement is required in the technique to decrease
intra and interobserver variability and its diagnostic capacity. This patent review highlights basics and developments on
elastosonography for thyroid nodule evaluation in the past few years.
