The Discussed Of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Technology In The Thyroid Of Malignant Nodules Identification

Objectives：To explore the value of application use acoustic radiation force impulsetechnology in identifying benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods：We collected a total of85patients with104nodules who underwentthyroid nodules surgery in the Second Hospital of Jilin University sinceDecember2010to December2011. Before surgery, German Siemens AcusonS2000ultrasound diagnostic apparatus was applied to perform ARFI inpatients with thyroid nodules, detecting each lesion via Virtual Touch tissueImaging (VTI) and Virtual Touch tissue Quantification (VTQ). Then get theVTI of thyroid solid nodules, identify the tissue texture by echo intensity (morestrong echo stand for more soft of the tissue, more weak echo stand for morehard of the tissue). Every patient experienced three times VTQ and the averageresults of VTQ tests was calculated and showed by mean士SD. Thepostoperative pathology used as a standard to determine benign or malignant ofthe nodules, the difference of elastic parameters between benign and malignantthyroid nodules was analyzed statistically (P <0.05).RESULT:1. There were56thyroid nodules in benign group,17(30.36%) nodulesshowed strong echo on VTI elastic graph, means it was soft texture；12(21.43%) nodules showed weak echo on VTI elastic graph, means it was hardtexture；27(48.21%) nodules showed equal echo on VTI elastic graph, means ithad the similar texture compared with the surrounding tissue. There were48 thyroid nodules in malignant group,3(6.25%) nodules showed strong echoon VTI elastic graph, means it was soft texture；36(75%) nodules showed weakecho on VTI elastic graph, means it was soft texture；9(18.75%) nodulesshowed equal echo on VTI elastic graph, means it had the similar texturecompared with the surrounding tissue.2. The VTQ tests result of benign thyroid nodule was1.70±0.36(range0.79to2.82), compared to the VTQ test result of malignant thyroid nodule was4.11±0.52(range2.88to5.35), difference between two group had Statisticalsignificance (P <0.01).Conclusions：ARFI can objectively evaluate tissue stiffness usingquantitative method, providing a new concept for the clinicaldiagnosis of thyroid disease, complementing the traditionaldiagnostic methods. It has a high value in application of thedifferential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.