Integration of B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography in the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid lesions. Preliminary experience in 91 cases
Garretti, L.; Gallo, N.; Balma, E.; Durando, R.; Palestini, N.; Suppo, M.
Minerva Chirurgica 52(6): 783-788
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-4733 PMID: 9324662 Document Number: 483402
Ninety-one patients affected with thyroid diseases (97 lesions) were examined with conventional B-mode and color-Doppler US. To verify if color-Doppler is able to provide additional elements in the US diagnosis, for each lesion were expressed two diagnosis: the first found on conventional US patterns and the second on color-Doppler patterns. US diagnosis was compared with histologic findings that identify 73 benign lesions and 24 malignant lesions. With conventional B-mode US the diagnosis was correctly expressed in 62/73 benign lesions (85%) and in 18/24 malignant lesions (75%) while it misdiagnosed as positives 11/73 case (15%) and as negatives 6/24 cases (25%). If we completed the conventional US diagnosis with color-Doppler patterns, the false negative reduced to 4% and false positive to 6.8%. On the whole, although any correlation between color-Doppler patterns and different histological types was found, the color-Doppler had a high predictive value of benignity in patterns I, II, and IV while pattern III is not peculiar because it includes either malignant or benign lesions.