Value of ultrasound elastography combined with serum urokinase plasminogen activator in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the value of ultrasound elastography combined with serum urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods:From May 2018 to May 2019, 150 patients with thyroid nodules (160 nodules) were selected, 69 patients with benign nodules (76 benign nodules) and 81 patients with malignant nodules (84 malignant nodules) were diagnosed by postoperative pathology. In the same period, 40 healthy people underwent health examination were selected as the control group. All preoperative patients were subjected to ultrasound elastography. The results of pathological examination were diagnosed as "gold standard"; the characteristics of ultrasound elastography were observed and scored, and compared with the results of pathological examination. The level of serum uPA was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were compared among single real-time ultrasound elastography, serum uPA and combined diagnosis.Results:Among the 150 patients (160 nodules), for ultrasound elastography, the sensitivity was 97.37% (74/76), the specificity was 85.71% (72/84), the accuracy was 91.25% (146/160), and the Kappa value was 0.726. The ratio of 0 to 2 points in malignant group was significantly lower than that in the benign group, the ratio of 3 to 4 points was significantly higher than that in the benign group ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of serum uPA in the benign group and the malignant group increased significantly ( P < 0.05). Compared with the benign group, serum uPA level in the malignant group increased significantly ( P < 0.05). The AUC of combined diagnosis was 0.869, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.789 - 0.949, and the best cut-off point for the combined diagnosis was uPA = 982.16 mU/L, at this time, the diagnostic sensitivity was 0.646, and the diagnostic specificity was 0.575. The AUC of ultrasound elastography was 0.814, 95% CI 0.721 - 0.907, and the AUC of combined diagnosis was higher than that of ultrasound elastography. Conclusion:The clinical value of ultrasound elastography combined with serum uPA in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules is higher than that of ultrasound elastography.