AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. The aim of the study is to evaluate sonoelastography as a non–invasive investigating tool for thyroid nodular diseases. 2. The objective is to assess the accuracy of sonoelastography in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodular diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

This is an observational prospective study and it was conducted over a period of 18 months from January 2014 – July 2015 involving 45 patients. They were evaluated using both B–mode and elastography. The mean shear wave velocity were correlated with FNAC diagnosis and subjected for statistical analysis.

RESULTS:

Of 45 patients in the study, there were 43 female (96%) and 2 male patients (4%) with an average age of 35 years (range of 20–58 years). 4 patients had malignant nodules and 41 patients had a variety of benign nodule. We found the shear wave velocity (SWV) was higher in malignant nodules (5.0–6.0 m/sec) than in benign nodules (2.8–3.4 m/s) (p < 0.001, Student‘s t–test). The mean velocity for malignant nodules was 5.7 m/sec and benign lesion was 2.5 m/sec.

CONCLUSION:

This study finds the shear wave elastography technique to be useful in evaluating thyroid nodules and considers it an invaluable complimentary method, just as Doppler ultrasound has been to Conventional ultrasound. Though it needs a reminder, that elastography is best interpreted with awareness of the causes for tissue stiffness.