• International journal of thyroidology
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.14-23
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• 2017

Background and Objectives: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic performances of grayscale ultrasound (US) and quantitative parameters obtained from texture analysis of grayscale US and elastography images in evaluating patients with diffuse thyroid disease (DTD). Materials and Methods: From September to December 2012, 113 patients (mean age, $43.4{\pm}10.7years$) who had undergone preoperative staging US and elastography were included in this study. Assessment of the thyroid parenchyma for the diagnosis of DTD was made if US features suggestive of DTD were present. Nine histogram parameters were obtained from the grayscale US and elastography images, from which 'grayscale index' and 'elastography index' were calculated. Diagnostic performances of grayscale US, texture analysis using grayscale US and elastography were calculated and compared. Results: Of the 113 patients, 85 (75.2%) patients were negative for DTD and 28 (24.8%) were positive for DTD on pathology. The presence of US features suggestive of DTD showed significantly higher rates of DTD on pathology, 60.7% to 8.2% (p<0.001). Specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value was highest in US features, 91.8%, 84.1%, and 87.6%, respectively (all ps<0.05). Grayscale index showed higher sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) than US features. All diagnostic performances were higher for grayscale index than the elastography index. Area under the curve of US features was the highest, 0.762, but without significant differences to grayscale index or mean of elastography (all ps>0.05). Conclusion: Diagnostic performances were the highest for grayscale US features in diagnosis of DTD. Grayscale index may be used as a complementary tool to US features for improving sensitivity and NPV.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.598-604
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• 2020

Objective: Proper management of lymph nodes (LNs) with ultrasonographic (US) indeterminate features in thyroid cancer patients remains elusive. We aimed to evaluate the malignancy risk and US findings predictive of malignancy for US indeterminate LNs in preoperative thyroid cancer patients through node-by-node correlation. Materials and Methods: A total of 348 LNs in 284 thyroid cancer patients, who underwent fine-needle aspiration or core-needle biopsy between December 2006 and June 2015, were included. We determined the malignancy risks for US probably benign, indeterminate, and suspicious categories. For US indeterminate LNs, which had neither echogenic hilum nor hilar vascularity in the absence of any suspicious finding, US findings were compared between benign and metastatic LNs using Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. Results: US imaging diagnoses were probably benign in 20.7% (n = 72) cases, indeterminate in 23.6% (n = 82), and suspicious in 55.7% (n = 194). Malignancy risk of US indeterminate LNs (19.5% [16/82]) differed from those of the US probably benign (2.8% [2/72]) (p = 0.002) and US suspicious LNs (78.4% [152/194]) (p < 0.001). Among US indeterminate LNs, there were no significant differences in short, long, and long-to-short diameter (L/S) ratios between benign and metastatic LNs (3.9 vs. 3.8 mm, p = 0.619; 7.3 vs. 7.3 mm, p = 0.590; 1.9 vs. 1.9, p = 0.652). Conclusion: US indeterminate LNs were frequently encountered during preoperative evaluation and had intermediate malignancy risk. Given the lack of discriminative power of size criteria and L/S ratio, clinical factors such as surgical strategy and node size should be considered for proper triage of US indeterminate LNs in thyroid cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권20호
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• pp.8613-8616
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• 2014

Background: The diagnostic approach to thyroid nodules involves ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB). We especially aimed to evaluate the contribution and the place of US-FNAB in preoperative evaluation of the malignant cases and draw attention to discordant cases diagnosed with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Materials and Methods: A total of 276 cases were retrospectively reviewed who were subsequently diagnosed with a malignancy and who underwent US-FNAB. Results: Some 45 were found to have previously undergone the US-FNAB procedure. Of the patients in whom the surgical specimen was diagnosed with a malignancy, 21 (46.7%) were diagnosed as malignant or suspicious for malignancy, and 24 (53.3%) were concluded as benign or insufficient for diagnosis. Patients with the diagnosis of PTMC outnumbering the others was a striking finding (11 cases, 24%). Conclusions: We suggest performing repeat aspiration biopsy considering sampling errors in cases where inconsistency exists between clinical findings and cytological results in thyroid nodules smaller than 10 mm in diameter and with suspicious findings on ultrasonography.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.224-230
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• 2015

Purpose: To determine whether we should recommend ultrasonography (US) for an incidental thyroid nodule identified by additional cervicothoracic sagittal T2-weighted image (C-T sag T2WI) of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 61 patients who underwent both lumbar spine MRI and thyroid US between December 2011 and April 2015 was conducted. For all US-found thyroid nodules > 1 cm, investigators evaluated whether there was any correlation between thyroid nodule detectability by C-T sag T2WI and US features such as echogenicity, composition, or suspicion of malignancy. Results: Solid hypoechoic (2/4; 50%) or mixed echoic nodules (4/8; 50%) appeared to be found relatively more easily by C-T sag T2WI than more benign-looking solid isoechoic (1/4; 25%) or spongiform nodules (0/6; 0%). Among six nodules with ultrasonographic suspicion for malignancy, only one nodule was detected by C-T sag T2WI. Conclusion: If an incidental thyroid nodule is seen by C-T sag T2WI, it would be better to recommend thyroid US for identifying malignancy.

• Journal of Clinical Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.311-315
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• 2018

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most prevalent type of thyroid cancer. In contrast, thyroid lymphoma is a very rare disease. Concurrent onset of both is very rare in the thyroid gland. Ultrasound (US)-guided Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a useful diagnostic tool, but occasionally pathology results may change after the surgery. A 56 years old woman visited with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and nodule on the thyroid gland isthmus on US exam. US-guided FNA was performed at thyroid nodule and diagnosed as PTC. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy. The pathological findings revealed a mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma accompanied with PTC. Authors report this unusual case with a review of literature.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.189-193
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• 1999

Objectives: Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) is a well established preoperative diagnostic procedure in the thyroid nodules. However, diagnostic accuracy of FNAC varies according to the size and the structural characteristics of thyroid nodule. We performed the ultrasound guided FNAC(US-guided FNAC) for impalpable thyroid nodule, and estimated the sampling accuracy rate through a comparison study between the cytologic diagnosis and the final histologic diagnosis of the postoperative specimens in order to determine clinical efficacy of the US-guided FNAC. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 117 patients underwent US-guided FNAC from January 1997 to December 1998. These patients had 129 thyroid nodules to need cytologic examination. Whereas the nodules were so no graphically classified into cystic, solid, and mixed type according to echo pattern, the aspirated thyroid specimens were classified into benign, malignant, suspicious, and insufficient. Results: Positive sampling for diagnositc examination was achieved in 75 nodules(58.1%), and US-guided FNAC in our study showed the accuracy rate of 95.2%, false positivity rate of 0%, and false negativity rate of 5.5%. Conclusions: US-guided FNAC is a powerful techniques for evaluating cytologic characterics and allowing a reliable diagnositc result in the impalpable thyroid nodule. However, the experienced technique is recommanded in order to obtain the sufficient samples for reliable results.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.22-30
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• 2023

Ultrasonography (US) is a primary imaging modality for diagnosing nodular thyroid disease and has an essential role in identifying the most appropriate management strategy for patients with nodular thyroid disease. Standardized imaging techniques and reporting formats for thyroid US are necessary. For this purpose, the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) organized a task force in June 2021 and developed recommendations for standardized imaging technique and reporting format, based on the 2021 KSThR consensus statement and recommendations for US-based diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules. The goal was to achieve an expert consensus applicable to clinical practice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권8호
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• pp.4689-4692
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• 2013

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a costly diagnostic item with a low yield in identifying the tiny proportion of nodules that actually represent malignant disease. Our aim through this study was to obtain an ultrasound (US) score for selecting subcentimeter-sized thyroid nodules requiring FNAB in eastern China. Some 248 patients for a total of 270 thyroid nodules less than 1 cm in diameter underwent FNAB and subsequent surgery from January 2006 to March 2012 at our hospital. The clinicopathological and US data from all the nodules were analyzed retrospectively. An US score was developed on the basis of independent predictive factors for malignancy. Irregular shape, hypoechogenicity, no well-defined margin, presence of calcifications and ratio between antero-posterior and transversal diameters (AP/TR) ${\geq}1$ were independent predictive factors for malignancy on logistic regression analysis. US score were statistically significant, with ${\leq}2$ favoring benignancy with an 80.3% sensitivity and a 72.7% specificity. US score is useful for differentiating between malignant and benign subcentimeter-sized thyroid nodules. We suggest FNAB for nodules when the US score is higher than 2.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제23권11호
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• pp.1102-1111
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• 2022

Objective: To evaluate the ultrasonography (US) features for diagnosing metastasis in cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with thyroid cancer and compare the US classification of risk of LN metastasis between European and Korean guidelines. Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2018, US-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed on 836 LNs from 714 patients for the preoperative nodal staging of thyroid cancer. The US features of LNs were retrospectively reviewed for the following features: size, presence of hilum, margin, orientation, cystic change, punctate echogenic foci (PEF), large echogenic foci, eccentric cortical thickening, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent US features for the diagnosis of metastatic LNs. The diagnostic performance of independent US features was subsequently evaluated. LNs were categorized according to the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) and European Thyroid Association (ETA) guidelines, and the correlation between the two sets of classifications was assessed. Results: Absence of the hilum, presence of cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity were independent US features of metastatic LNs. Cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity showed high specificity (86.8%-99.6%). The absence of the hilum had the highest sensitivity yet low specificity (66.4%). When LNs were classified according to the ETA guidelines and K-TIRADS, they yielded similar categorizations of malignancy risks and were strongly correlated (Spearman coefficient, 0.9766 [95% confidence interval, 0.973-0.979]). According to the ETA guidelines, 9.8% (82/836) of LNs were classified as "not specified." Conclusion: Absence of hilum, cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity were independent US features suggestive of metastatic LNs in thyroid cancer. Both K-TIRADS and the ETA guidelines provided similar risk stratification for metastatic LNs with a high correlation; however, the ETA guidelines failed to classify 9.8% of LNs into a specific risk stratum. These results may provide a basis for revising LN classification in future guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.663-671
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• 2021

Objective: To determine the association of macrocalcification and rim calcification with malignancy and to stratify the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules with macrocalcification and rim calcification based on ultrasound (US) patterns. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 3603 consecutive nodules (≥ 1 cm) with final diagnoses. The associations of macrocalcification and rim calcification with malignancy and malignancy risk of the nodules were assessed overall and in subgroups based on the US patterns of the nodules. The malignancy risk of the thyroid nodules was categorized as high (> 50%), intermediate (upper-intermediate: > 30%, ≤ 50%; lower-intermediate: > 10%, ≤ 30%), and low (≤ 10%). Results: Macrocalcification was independently associated with malignancy in all nodules and solid hypoechoic (SH) nodules (p < 0.001). Rim calcification was not associated with malignancy in all nodules (p = 0.802); however, it was independently associated with malignancy in partially cystic or isoechoic and hyperechoic (PCIH) nodules (p = 0.010). The malignancy risks of nodules with macrocalcification were classified as upper-intermediate and high in SH nodules, and as low and lower-intermediate in PCIH nodules based on suspicious US features. The malignancy risks of nodules with rim calcification were stratified as low and lower-intermediate based on suspicious US features. Conclusion: Macrocalcification increased the malignancy risk in all and SH nodules with or without suspicious US features, with low to high malignancy risks depending on the US patterns. Rim calcification increased the malignancy risk in PCIH nodules, with low and lower-intermediate malignancy risks based on suspicious US features. However, the role of rim calcification in risk stratification of thyroid nodules remains uncertain.