Diagnostic value of different enhancement modes of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differention of benign and malignant thyroid nodules

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of different enhancement modes of real-time gray contrast-enhanced ultrasound for difference between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods:After taking the routine two-dimensional ultrasound and color Doppler examination,46 patients with thyroid lesion symptoms underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging.According to the modes of enhancement the thyroid nodules would be divided into following four typies:inhomogeneous,homogeneous,ring enhancement and non-enhancement;Meanwhile the changes in measured value of thyroid nodules before and after contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging were observed.Results:Fourty-nine thyroid nodules(23 malignant nodules,26 benign nodules) were found in 46 cases,including the inhomogeneous enhancement of benign in 3 cases and malignant in 16 cases,homogeneous enhancement of benign and malignant nodules in 6 cases each,ring enhancement of benign in 16 cases and malignant in 1 case,non-enhancement in 1 benign nodule.There was statistically significant difference between benign and malignant nodules in terms of inhomogeneous enhancement and ring enhancement.Conclusion:It has shown that the enhanced mode of contrast-enhanced ultrasound has important value in the identification of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.