Elastography of the Thyroid Glands

ABSTRACT

Although the current resolution of ultrasound (US) has markedly improved the ability to detect nodules and it can be used to differentiate malignant thyroid nodules from benign thyroid nodules, gray scale US alone is not perfectly capable of making this differentiation. US elastography is a relatively novel dynamic technique that evaluates the degree of distortion of a tissue under the application of an external force and it is based on the principle that the softer parts of tissues deform more easily than do the harder parts under compression, thus allowing an objective determination of tissue consistency. This review provides the basic concepts of US elastography and the potential clinical applications and limitations for diagnosing thyroid nodules.