Keywords:
Image manipulation / Reconstruction, Ultrasound-Colour Doppler, Ultrasound, Contrast agents, Thyroid / Parathyroids, Head and neck, Outcomes analysis, Contrast agent-intravenous, Screening, Endocrine disorders
Authors:
A. BOCCUZZI1, S. Mazzeo1, R. Cervelli2, P. Rossi1, P. Papini1, G. Materazzi1, R. Cioni1, D. Caramella1; 1PISA/IT, 2Pisa, It/IT
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-2837
Methods and materials
B-mode US images and CEUS exams of 40 patients with single predominantly solid thyroid nodule were retrospectively analysed to define both the TI-RADS class and TIC.
CEUS exam
The general process of CEUS for thyroid nodules was as follows:
- the largest view of the nodule was chosen before switching to the CEUS mode from B-mode US;
- SonoVue (Bracco,
Italy) was injected intravenously as a bolus at a standardize dose of 2.4 mL,
followed by a 8 mL saline flush;
- the CEUS images were recorded as a video clip during the next 3 minutes and,
then,
were digitally stored as raw data.
Post-processing analysis
The raw data were analysed by the VueBox Platform (Bracco,
Italy).
It is a quantification toolbox designed to analyse dynamic CEUS DICOM clips.
VueBox allows the linearization of video data for accurate quantitative measurements.
A dedicated radiologist drew the region of interest (ROI) to be automatically analysed by VueBox; in selected cases a manual editing of the video clip was required due to the motion of the targeted nodules inside the selected area (Fig.3).
After post-processing analysis,
the TIC was created.
TIC parameters,
including the peak intensity,
maximum slope coefficient of wash-in and wash-out,
area under the rising curve (AUCR),
area under the falling curve (AUCF),
and time to peak,
were recorded (Fig.4).
Finally,
the fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed in all nodules.
All patient underwent thyroidectomy and the final diagnosis was confirmed by histology after surgical excision.