Diagnostic value of VTIQ measuring shear wave velocity in thyroid micronodule

ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of virtual touch tissue imaging quantification(VTIQ)measuring shear wave velocity(SWV)in thyroid imaging report and data system(TI-RADS)grade 4 micronodules.

MethodsOne hundred and fifty thyroid micronodule patients with TI-RADS grade 4 were investigated, and the SWV parameters(SWVmean, SWVstd, SWVmax, SWVmin and SWVratio)of nodular tissue in all cases were measured using VTIQ in ultrasonography.The pathological diagnosis was taken as gold standard, the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of VTIQ measuring SWV on thyroid micronodules with TI-RADS grade 4.

ResultsAmong 150 patients, 168 micronodules were found, which included 65 malignant patients(70 micronodules)and 85 benign patients(98 micronodules).The SWVmean, SWVstd, SWVmax, SWVmin and SWVratio in malignant micronodules were significantly greater than those in benign micronodules(P < 0.01).The SWVmean, SWVstd, SWVmax, SWVmin and SWVratio had significant diagnostic value on the benign and malignant micronodules(P < 0.01), and the diagnostic efficacy of SWVmean was the highest(P < 0.01).When the cut-off value was set as 2.755, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of SWVmean were 75.48%, 93.04%, 86.85% and 83.79%, respectively.

ConclusionsThe VTIQ measuring SWV can significantly distinguish the differences of benign and malignant thyroid micronodules with TI-RADS grade 4, which has a good diagnostic value.When SWVmean is more than 2.755m/s, it suggests the possibility of malignant micronodules.