Contrast enhanced ultrasound in diagnosis of thyroid "cold" nodule

Objective: To explore the value of CEUS in differential diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid "cold" nodule confirmed with radionuclide imaging. Methods: CEUS findings of totally 170 thyroid nodules in 115 patients with thyroid "cold" nodule were analyzed retrospectively. The differential diagnosis was performed according to CEUS and compared with surgical-pathologic results. Results: Among 170 thyroid nodules, 39 showed uneven hypoenhancement and were diagnosed malignancy, while the remaining 131 nodules showed synchronous isoechoic/hyperechoic or non-enhanced compared to the surrounding thyroid, and were diagnosed benign. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS in differentiating thyroid malignant nodules was 91.67% (33/36), 95.52% (128/134) and 94.71% (161/170), respectively. Conclusion: CEUS can be used to differentiate benign and malignant thyroid "cold" nodules confirmed with radionuclide imaging.