Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules with contrast-enhanced ultrasound: initial results

To assess the feasibility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of the thyroid gland and to evaluate the potential of this method for characterising solitary thyroid nodules.18 patients affected by solitary thyroid nodules (size range: 0.6 to 3.6 cm; mean: 1.8 cm) confirmed by surgery (nine papillary carcinomas, four follicular carcinomas, three hyperplasias, one follicular adenoma and one Plummer’s adenoma) underwent pulse inversion US at low M.I. (0.06 to 0.08) after i.v. injection of a 2.4-mL bolus of SonoVue. Baseline echogenicity and the dynamic enhancement pattern of each nodule, in comparison with adjacent thyroid parenchyma, were assessed. Signal intensity values on grey-scale imag…