The comparison of superb microvascular imaging to color and power Doppler flow imaging in the diagnostic value of thyroid nodules / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To compare the visualization ability for thyroid nodular vascularity among superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI), power Doppler flow imaging (PDFI), and color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI), and determine optimal vascular findings for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.@*Methods@#A total of 58 thyroid nodules from 50 patients were enrolled, including 27 benign nodules (benign group) and 31 malignant nodules (malignant group). Vascular patterns of these nodules were detected by SMI, PDFI and CDFI, respectively.@*Results@#Thyroid cancer was characterized by type III vascular pattern. "Only central vascularity" performed best in detecting thyroid cancers. When using the criterion, SMI performed a better specificity (96.3%) and sensitivity (77.4%) than PDFI (92.5%, 41.9%) and CDFI (88.9%, 48.3%); and the specificity of SMI was significantly higher than the others (all P<0.01).@*Conclusions@#The sign of only central vascularity is of value in distinguishing malignant thyroid nodules. SMI is better on presenting thyroid nodular vascularity than CDFI and PDFI, and it could be used to differentiate thyroid nodules.