title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of solitary thyroid nodules.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to study the patterns of solitary thyroid nodule with real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and assess its value in differentiating between malignant and benign thyroid nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight patients with solitary thyroid nodule (37 malignant, 41 benign) underwent real-time CEUS. The patterns of their enhancement were assessed from six aspects: Degree of enhancement, process of enhancement, homogeneity of enhancement, completeness of enhancement, boundary of the enhanced lesions, and shape of the enhanced lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrast-enhanced patterns were significantly different between benign and malignant thyroid nodules (P < 0.05), except for process of enhancement. The shape of most malignant lesions was irregular (94.59%), the boundary was unclear (86.49%) and had no significantly enhanced (78.38%). Most malignant lesions became inhomogeneously (78.38%) and incompletely enhanced (70.27%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patterns of real-time CEUS are significantly different between benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and have important clinical value.
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Pudong, Shanghai, China.
authors: Jiang
authors: J
authors: Quan
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Yunxiao
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Jian
authors: He
authors: H
authors: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography