TY - JOUR
T1 - Elastographic presentation of medullary thyroid carcinoma
AU - Andrioli, Massimiliano
AU - Trimboli, Pierpaolo
AU - Amendola, Stefano
AU - Valabrega, Stefano
AU - Fukunari, Nobuhiro
AU - Mirella, Moro
AU - Persani, Luca
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Aim of the study was to evaluate the elastographic appearance of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) by a retrospective evaluation of 18 nodules histologically proven as MTC. Free-hand qualitative elastography was performed using Hitachi Logos EUB 7500. The elasticity score (ES), was assessed based on a colour elastogram, the blue colour being correlated with hard tissue, red colour with soft tissue, and green with intermediate hardness. Nodules were classified into four classes. A alleged diagnosis of malignancy was assigned to nodules with ES3 or 4 and a presumptive diagnosis of benignity was assigned to nodules with an ES1 or 2. More than half (55.6 %) of MTCs have a low-intermediate grade of elasticity. The hardest lesions (ES4) were those with ultrasonographic features highly suspicious for malignancy. In conclusion, most of MTCs present an elastographic pattern of benignity. Therefore, qualitative elastography does not add useful information in pointing out MTC on the basis of its hardness. Our data suggest a marginal role for this technique in MTC evaluation.
AB - Aim of the study was to evaluate the elastographic appearance of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) by a retrospective evaluation of 18 nodules histologically proven as MTC. Free-hand qualitative elastography was performed using Hitachi Logos EUB 7500. The elasticity score (ES), was assessed based on a colour elastogram, the blue colour being correlated with hard tissue, red colour with soft tissue, and green with intermediate hardness. Nodules were classified into four classes. A alleged diagnosis of malignancy was assigned to nodules with ES3 or 4 and a presumptive diagnosis of benignity was assigned to nodules with an ES1 or 2. More than half (55.6 %) of MTCs have a low-intermediate grade of elasticity. The hardest lesions (ES4) were those with ultrasonographic features highly suspicious for malignancy. In conclusion, most of MTCs present an elastographic pattern of benignity. Therefore, qualitative elastography does not add useful information in pointing out MTC on the basis of its hardness. Our data suggest a marginal role for this technique in MTC evaluation.
KW - Elastography
KW - Elastosonography
KW - Medullary carcinoma
KW - Thyroid
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U2 - 10.1007/s12020-013-0062-4
DO - 10.1007/s12020-013-0062-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 24065313
AN - SCOPUS:84893304536
VL - 45
SP - 153
EP - 155
JO - Endocrine
JF - Endocrine
SN - 1355-008X
IS - 1
ER -