Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39618730›Full record

ArticleCureus2024

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound Elastography Versus Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in Predicting Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules in Solitary and Multinodular Thyroid Glands: A Comparative Analysis.

Amanullah Khan, Muhammad Imran Siddiqui, Kamran Illahi Memon, Muhammad Imran Farid, Rabia Jaffar, Syed Naseer Ahmed, Zain Nayyer, Niamat Ullah, Muhammad Ahsan, Abdullah Ghumman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Amanullah KhanImaging, Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, ARE.
Muhammad Imran SiddiquiClinical Imaging, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, ARE.
Kamran Illahi MemonClinical Imaging, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, ARE.
Muhammad Imran FaridElectrical and Computer Engineering, Air University, Islamabad, PAK.
Rabia JaffarInternal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PAK.
Syed Naseer AhmedRadiology, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital, Quetta, PAK.
Zain NayyerDiagnostic Radiology, Combined Military Hospital, Gujranwala, PAK.
Niamat UllahGeneral Surgery, Lady Reading Hospital Medical Teaching Institute, Peshawar, PAK.
Muhammad AhsanInternal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
Abdullah GhummanMedicine and Surgery, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, PAK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background The diagnosis of thyroid nodules requires accurate techniques; fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the gold standard, while ultrasonography elastography has potential but is not well supported by data, particularly when it comes to differentiating benign from malignant nodules in single and multiple noduled glands. Objective This study's main goal was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound elastography in predicting benign versus malignant thyroid nodules, both in solitary and multinodular thyroid glands, compared with FNAC. Methodology This prospective observational study evaluated thyroid nodules using ultrasound elastography and FNAC. Patients who were 18 years of age or older and had visible thyroid nodules met the inclusion criteria; those who had undergone thyroid surgery in the past, had cancer, or refused both tests were excluded. Data on demographics, clinical conditions, and imaging were gathered from 360 enrolled patients. Statistical analysis included calculating sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound elastography using FNAC as a reference, alongside receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to determine the optimal cutoff for benign versus malignant nodules. Results There were 360 individuals in the trial, 250 of whom had benign thyroid nodules and 110 of whom had malignant ones. When compared to ultrasound elastography, FNAC showed somewhat better sensitivity (92.00%) and specificity (85.33%) for benign nodules. On the other hand, for malignant nodules, FNAC showed better specificity (80.95%) and sensitivity (91.82%) than ultrasonic elastography. In all age categories, FNAC consistently performed better than ultrasound elastography. The total accuracy obtained by ultrasound elastography was 81.94%, but the accuracy obtained by FNAC was higher at 85.47%. Ultrasound elastography's ideal cutoff value was found to be 4.2, with a sensitivity of 87.25% and a specificity of 78.40%. Conclusion Ultrasound elastography shows significant promise as a non-invasive, real-time complementary tool to FNAC for diagnosing thyroid nodules.

Indexed as

benigndiagnostic accuracyfine-needle aspiration cytologyfnacmalignantthyroid nodulesultrasound elastography

Identifiers

PMID39618730
PMCPMC11608412

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.