Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40274686›Full record

ArticleEndocrine2025

The additive value of real-time elastography to thyroid ultrasound in detecting papillary carcinoma in nodules over 20 mm in diameter.

Nikolaos Angelopoulos, Dimitrios G Goulis, Ioannis Chrisogonidis, Sarantis Livadas, Rodis D Paparodis, Ioannis Androulakis, Juan Carlos Jaume, Ioannis Iakovou

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Article in Endocrine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Elastography Enhances Diagnostic Accuracy of ACR TI-RADS in Thyroid Nodule Evaluation.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

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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

8 authors.

Nikolaos Angelopoulos2nd Academic Department of Nuclear Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Thessaloniki, Greece. drangelnick@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8901-7161
Dimitrios G GoulisUnit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ioannis ChrisogonidisDepartment of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Sarantis LivadasEndocrine Unit, Athens Medical Centre, Athens, Greece.
Rodis D PaparodisDepartment of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago/Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA.
Ioannis AndroulakisEndocrine Unit, Athens Medical Centre, Athens, Greece.
Juan Carlos JaumeDepartment of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago/Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA.
Ioannis Iakovou2nd Academic Department of Nuclear Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeUltrasonography (US) is the most accurate and cost-effective imaging method for identifying thyroid nodules. The difficulty in determining which nodules to sample for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology has prompted the introduction of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADS), which assesses the malignancy risk associated with thyroid nodules. Real-time elastography (RTE), coupled with strain ratio (SR) measurements, offers a means to evaluate the nodule stiffness and potentially discern their likelihood of being malignant. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of RTE and SR, combined with the TIRADS grading systems, in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

methodsFrom 1094 patients with thyroid nodules referred for thyroid ultrasound at a University Hospital, those with thyroid nodules ≥20 mm in diameter were enrolled. Each nodule was categorized according to European (EU)- and American College of Radiology (ACR)-TIRADS systems, ranging from 2-5. Nodules' SRs were evaluated together with RTE. The thyroid nodule diagnosis was documented by post-thyroidectomy histopathological examination and/or US-guided FNA according to the Bethesda classification of the examined smears.

resultsThe study involved 267 patients (mean age 60.3 ± 14.3 years; 46 males and 221 females) with 308 nodules categorized into EU-TIRADS categories 3, 4, and 5. Of these nodules, 22 proved malignant, and 286 benign. The elastography ratio exhibited high predictive performance in diagnosing thyroid malignancy (p < 0.001) at a threshold value of >0.84 (sensitivity 90.9%, specificity 73.4%). In the 168 nodules with EU-TIRADS 3, this threshold had 100% sensitivity and 75.1% specificity in discriminating malignant thyroid nodules.

conclusionCombining TIRADS with data derived from RTE reduces unnecessary FNAs and surgeries in patients with thyroid nodular disease.

Indexed as

CarcinomaCarcinoma, PapillaryElasticity Imaging TechniquesThyroid GlandThyroid NeoplasmsThyroid NoduleAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiopsy, Fine-NeedleFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSensitivity and SpecificityThyroid Cancer, PapillaryCancerFine needle aspirationReal-time elastographyThyroid nodules

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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.