title: Shear Wave Elastography and Cervical Lymph Nodes: Predicting Malignancy.
abstract: This prospective study evaluates the accuracy of virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ), a non-invasive shear wave elastography method for measuring cervical lymph nodes (LN) stiffness in differentiating benign from malignant LN. The study evaluated 270 LN in 236 patients with both conventional B-mode ultrasound and VTIQ shear wave elastography before fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). LN stiffness was measured as shear wave velocity (SWV) in m/s. Surgical resection was advised for FNAB results that were not clearly benign. Surgical pathology confirmed 54 malignant LN. The receiver operating curve (ROC) identified a single cut-off value of 2.93 m/s as the maximum SWV for predicting a malignant cervical LN. The sensitivity and specificity were 92.59% and 75.46%, respectively. Positive predictive value (PPV) was 48.54% and negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.60%. LN stiffness measured by VTIQ-generated shear wave elastography is an independent predictor of malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Wilmington Endocrinology, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. Electronic address: azizi@wilmingonendo.com.
authors.forename: Ghobad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.affiliation: Wilmington Pathology Associates, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Wilmington Endocrinology, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Colorado, Research Compliance, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Kelé
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.affiliation: Carolina Arthritis, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puett
authors.affiliation: Wilmington Endocrinology, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Karly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Earp
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Carl D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Malchoff
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy; Lymph node; Malignancy; Shear wave elastography; Ultrasound