title: [Palpation and elastography of thyroid nodules in comparison].
abstract: In addition to ultrasound, elastography is available for evaluation of thyroid nodules for several years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  of this study was to verify a statistically significant correlation between palpation and elastography as well as between scintigraphy and elastography, respectively. PATIENTS, METHODES: 97 solitary thyroid nodules in 67 women (mean age 63.0 ± 14.8 years) and 30 men (mean age 63.4 ± 18.5 years) were colour-coded by a colour spectrum from blue (soft) via yellow to red (hard) (Sonix touch ultrasound system, Ultrasonix, Canada) with a 6-14 MHz probe. These colour codes were classified into an elastography score of ES 1 to ES 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  50 nodules were not palpable, 47 were addressed as "soft" (n = 16), "indifferent" (n = 24) or "hard" (n = 7). Elastography values were higher with increasing stiffness of the palpable nodules. Medians of elastography score were for the soft nodules ES 2, for the indifferent nodules ES 2.5 and for the hard nodules ES 4. A statistically significant correlation could be confirmed by the Jonckheere-Terpstra test (p = 0.01) and Spearman's rank correlation (p = 0.03). No correlation between elastography and scintigraphic uptake could be observed (p = 0.41).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In detectable nodules, palpation is correlated with elastography. Since non-palpable nodules may have differences in elasticity too, elastography can provide additional data, which may influence the further diagnostic procedures and treatment essentially. Based on these results, scintigraphy cannot be replaced by elastography.
authors: Klinik für Nuklearmedizin, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main. marco.etzel@gmx.de
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Etzel
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Happel
authors: F
authors: F
authors: von Müller
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ackermann
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Bojunga
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Grünwald
mesh_terms: D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010173:Palpation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*