Value of shear wave elastography by virtual touch tissue imaging quantification in patients with diffuse thyroid gland pathology

Abstract

Background/aim: This study was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of shear wave elastography by virtual touch tissue imagingquantification in patients with diffuse thyroid gland pathology and to differentiate Graves’ disease from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.Materials and methods: Thirty patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 22 patients with Graves’ disease were evaluated withconventional ultrasonography and shear wave elastography by virtual touch tissue imaging quantification. Thirty healthy participantsformed the control group. Ten elastographic measurements of each thyroid lobe were performed in all three study groups. The meanshear wave velocity was calculated and compared between the patients and controls.Results: The mean shear wave velocity of the controls (1.92 ± 0.14 m/s) was significantly lower than that of the patients with Graves’disease (2.71 ± 0.22 m/s) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (2.50 ± 0.20 m/s). Patients with Graves’ disease had significantly higher shear wavevelocities than those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Shear wave elastography by virtual touch tissue imaging quantification can be used to discriminate a normal thyroid glandfrom diffuse thyroid gland pathology after conventional sonography and may assist in the diagnosis of Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’sthyroiditis.