The role of shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the applicability of shear wave elastography (SWE) in the diagnosis of chronic autoimmun thyroiditis (CAT) patients. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 50 patients with first-diagnosed CAT and 40 control subjects (CS). In all patients with CAT and CS, sonoelastographic measurements were made in both thyroid lobes. Optimal cut-off values were chosen to maximize the sum of sensitivity and specificity. Positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy values were also calculated. Results: Quantitative elastographic analysis evaluated by SWE in CAT patients (2.56 ± 0.30 m/s) was significantly higher compared  with CS (1.63 ± 0.12 m/s) (p<0.001). The optimal cut-off value was 2.42 m/s. SWE had 77% sensitivity, 71% specificity, 92% PPV, 81% NPV, and 87% accuracy for the presence of CAT. Conclusions: Our data indicate that SWE correctly defines the elasticty of thyroid parenchyma, and this technique may assist in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of CAT.