title: Comparison of Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging & Quantification (VTIQ) and Toshiba shear wave elastography (T-SWE) in diagnosis of thyroid nodules: Initial experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of two different 2D shear wave speed imaging techniques of Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging & Quantification (VTIQ) and Toshiba shear wave elastography (T-SWE) in predicting malignant thyroid nodules (TNs).
  
  
  METHODS
  75 TNs in 75 patients which were subject to both VTIQ and T-SWE examinations were enrolled and analyzed. Shear wave speed (SWS) values on VTIQ and T-SWE were computed (SWS_max, min, mean and median). Area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was obtained to assess the diagnostic performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AUROC for VTIQ was the highest with SWS_min whereas for T-SWE was SWS_max (0.774 versus 0.851; p > 0.05). The AUROC, sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) corresponding to SWS_max for VTIQ were significantly lower than those for T-SWE (0.717 versus 0.851, 61.5% versus 92.3% and 78.7% versus 94.3%; all p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found between AUROC with SWS_min, SWS_mean, or SWS_median for VTIQ and SWS_max for T-SWE (all p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, VTIQ is equal to T-SWE for diagnosis of TNs. In the clinical practice, the selection of SWS_max should be avoided in VTIQ whereas should be selected in T-SWE.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui-Xiong
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Wan
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Chong-Ke
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bo-Ji
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui-Xiong
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acoustic radiation force impulse; diagnostic performance; fine-needle aspiration; shear wave elastography; thyroid nodules; ultrasound