[Elastosonography of thyroid lesions].
While ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosis of thyroid lesions, characterization remains limited and tissue diagnosis frequently is required for management. The availability of additional tools such as elastography may improve lesion characterization and direct management.


METHODS
A total of 96 patients (11 males and 85 females; 58+/-24 years) referred for fine needle aspiration (FNA) of mainly solid thyroid nodules 9-32 mm in diameter underwent conventional US and elastosonography. Results on elastography were correlated with histological results from FNA and classified as follows: suspected malignant lesion, suspected benign lesion, suspicious, indeterminate.


RESULTS
The nodules were classified as follows: 95 nodules were soft (classes I and II) and 13 nodules were hard (classes III and IV). No cancers were detected in class and II lesions and 6 cancers were detected in class III and IV lesions. FNA provided insufficient cellular material for diagnosis in 5 class I-II nodules and 2 class III-IV nodules.


CONCLUSIONS
Real-time elastosonography may be a useful adjunct to conventional US in the evaluation and characterization of thyroid nodules allowing identification of patients at high risk of malignancy for whom tissue diagnosis and/or close follow-up is required.
Tranquart
F
F
Service d'Ultrasons, CHRU Tours, Hôpital Bretonneau, 37044 Tours Cedex 1. tranquart@med.univ-tours.fr
Bleuzen
A
A
Pierre-Renoult
P
P
Chabrolle
C
C
Sam Giao
M
M
Lecomte
P
P
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods