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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Imaging and Image-directed Interventions
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1407611

Significance of Maximum Intensity Projection Technique of Multimodal Ultrasound imaging in differentiating follicular thyroid carcinoma from benign lesions

Provisionally accepted
Wei Gao Wei Gao 1*Yu Tong Chen Yu Tong Chen 1Qiong Wu Qiong Wu 1Yi Li Yi Li 1*Yuanyi Zheng Yuanyi Zheng 2*Yan Wang Yan Wang 1*
  • 1 Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
  • 2 Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Preoperative diagnosis for follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to explore the maximum intensity projection (MIP) features, which can be utilized for reconstructing and characterizing the structure of microvascular in tissue, associated with FTC, and to explore the independent risk factors for FTC in combination with multimodal ultrasonography and blood indicators.Methods: This single-center, prospective, single-blind, observational study included patients with suspected follicular thyroid carcinoma based on preoperative ultrasonography findings. All patients underwent routine ultrasonography, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and correlated blood indexes tests. Offline MIP reconstruction of the CEUS images was performed. The tumor was histologically diagnosed postoperatively. Multivariable logistics regression was utilized for analyzing MIP characteristics combined with multimodal ultrasonography and preoperative blood indicators to identify independent risk factors for FTC.Results: In this study, 61 thyroid nodules were finally included according to the atretic criteria. (1) Compared with traditional color profile ultrasonography and CEUS, MIP technology can provide more information regarding microvascular characteristics inside thyroid tumors. The short, rod-like, crossed, curved and firework-like features of MIP images revealed statistically significant differences between the benign and malignant groups. (2) Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the firework-like MIP characteristics of microvascular, thyroglobulin (Tg) level and vessel intensity (VI) value were independent risk factors for malignancy.(1) MIP technology has potential applications in the differential diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma from benign lesions. (2) Firework MIP microvascular characteristics, Tg values and VI values can serve as parameters for the differential diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma from benign lesions. This study provides a novel approach idea for preoperative multimodal differentiation of follicular thyroid carcinoma from benign lesions.

    Keywords: Thyroid follicular carcinoma, Ultrasonography, Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, multimodal ultrasonography, Maximum intensity projection

    Received: 10 Apr 2024; Accepted: 19 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gao, Chen, Wu, Li, Zheng and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Wei Gao, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, Shanghai Municipality, China
    Yi Li, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, Shanghai Municipality, China
    Yuanyi Zheng, Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
    Yan Wang, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, Shanghai Municipality, China

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