title: Practical Application of Elastography in the Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules in Children and Adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrasound elastography is a noninvasive method of imaging based on the estimation of the mechanical properties of tissue. Data in adults indicate that decreased flexibility in comparison to the surrounding healthy tissue is characteristic of malignancy (in most thyroid carcinomas, except for follicular thyroid carcinoma). The purpose of our study was to assess the deformation of thyroid nodules and to evaluate the usefulness of elastography in predicting malignant thyroid nodules in adolescent patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 47 children with 62 thyroid nodules. All patients underwent elastography and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven girls (79%) and 10 boys (21%) were included in the study. A strain ratio <2 was observed in 17 nodules (27% of the study group), a strain ratio between 2 and 4.9 in 34 nodules (55%) and a strain ratio >5 in 11 nodules (18%). According to cytological examination, 3 nodules (4.8% of the study group) were malignant. Two of them were hard (strain ratio ≥5), and 1 nodule had a strain ratio of 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that elastography can be complementary to conventional ultrasonography and useful while making a decision about FNAC. At the same time, it should not replace the cytological assessment of thyroid nodules in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology and Diabetes with a Cardiology Division, Medical University of Biax0142;ystok, Biax0142;ystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borysewicz-Sanczyk
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dzieciol
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sawicka
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002648:Child; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*