Abstract:
Objective To compare the clinical value of superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of solid thyroid nodules.
Methods A total of 384 patients with 525 lesions of solid thyroid nodules from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were enrolled in this study from January 2018 to December 2020. The subjects included 99 males and 285 females, aged 18 to 81 years old. The average age was (46.63±18.56) years. These nodules were examined using both SMI and CEUS. The diagnoses of SMI and CEUS were contrasted with the post-operative pathology. The blood flow classification, distribution pattern, and perforating vessels were analyzed using SMI, while the enhanced patterns were simultaneously evaluated by CEUS.
Results Among 525 lesions, 354 were malignant and 171 were benign. By SMI, 84.21% benign nodules and 86.72% malignant nodules were classified as Adler grade 2 or 3; 27.49% and 47.37% benign nodules were diagnosed as type Ⅲ and Ⅳ according to blood flow distribution pattern, while 86.44% malignant nodules were type Ⅱ. The detection rate of perforating vessel flow in malignant nodules was 86.72%. By CEUS, 47.95% and 33.33% of benign nodules were “equal enhancement” and “high enhancement” and 88.98% of malignant nodules were “low enhancement”. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value classification of blood flow distribution pattern combined with perforating vessel flow of SMI were 86.44%, 74.85%, 82.67%, 87.68%, and 72.73%, respectively; the values by CEUS were 88.98%, 81.29%, 86.48%, 90.78%, and 78.09%, respectively. There was no statistical difference in diagnostic efficacy between CEUS and classification of blood flow distribution pattern combined with perforating vessels flow of SMI (P>0.05).
Conclusions The diagnostic value of SMI with blood flow distribution pattern and perforating vessels is similar to that of CEUS for solid thyroid nodules. SMI can, thus, be considered a new method of ultra sound diagnosis of solid thyroid nodules.