title: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging for the distinction between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate thyroid nodules using virtual touch quantification (VTQ) of force impulse acoustic radiation (ARFI) imaging and to investigate a cutoff value for the differentiation of malignant thyroid nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five patients with quantitatively-assessed (VTQ) thyroid nodules were evaluated with ARFI imaging in this prospective study. ARFI imaging with VTQ was performed only on the nodules which were expected to undergo fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). All of the thyroid lesions were examined histopathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean shear wave velocity (SWV) value of the malignant nodules (3.18 ± 0.39 m/s) was higher than that of the benign nodules (2.11 ± 0.53 m/s). There was a statistically significant difference between the mean SWV values of benign and malignant nodules (p < 0.001). A SWV cutoff value of greater than 2.66 m/s yielded sensitivity and specificity values of 100 and 82.3 %, respectively, for diagnosis of malignant nodules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VTQ of ARFI imaging has high sensitivity and specificity for discriminating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules and may positively contribute to clinical evaluation of these nodules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School, Dicle University, Sur 21280, Diyarbakır, Turkey, cihad5@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Cihad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamidi
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göya
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattapoğlu
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Uslukaya
authors.forename: Memik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teke
authors.forename: Mehmet Sedat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Durmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet Sıddık
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamidi
authors.forename: Güven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tekbaş
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology