title: Ultrasound sonoelastography in the evaluation of thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroid disease.
abstract: Sonoelastography (USE) is a constantly evolving imaging technique used for the noninvasive and objective estimation of tissue stiffness. Several USE methods have been developed, including Quasi-Static or Strain Elastography and Shear Wave Elastography. The utility of USE has been demonstrated in differentiating between malignant and benign thyroid lesions. Recently, USE has been applied in the evaluation of thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).Thyroid inflammatory illnesses constitute a diverse group of diseases and may manifest various symptoms. These conditions may share some parallel clinical, biochemical, and ultrasonographic features, which can lead to diagnostic difficulties. USE may be an additional tool, supporting other methods in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of thyroid diseases, other than thyroid nodular disease.The aim of this article was to analyse and summarise the available literature on the applicability of different elastographic techniques in the diagnosis, differentiation and monitoring of various types of thyroiditis and AITD. Advantages and limitations of this technique are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. mruchala@ump.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruchała
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szmyt
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sławek
authors.forename: Ariadna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zybek
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szczepanek-Parulska
mesh_terms: D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*