3D ultraslinography is as accurate as low-dose CT in thyroid volumetry

作者：Licht K; Darr A; Opfermann T; Winkens T; Freesmeyer M^*

来源：Nuklearmedizin, 2014, 53(3): 99-104.

DOI：10.3413/Nukmed-0615-13-08

• Thyroid gland volume
• thyroid gland ultrasonography
• thyroid gland computed tomography
• thyroid gland three-dimensional imaging
• volumetry methods

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare thyroid volumetry by three-dimensional mechanically swept ultrasonography (3DmsUS) and low-dose computed to, mography (IdCT). Patients, methods: 30 subjects referred for radioiodine therapy of benign thyroid diseases were subjected to 3DmsUS and IdCT. A prerequisite of 3DmsUS analyses was that the scans had to capture the entire thyroid, excluding therefore cases with a very large volume or retrosternal portions. The 3DmsUS data were transformed into a DICOM format, and volumetry calculations were performed via a multimodal; workstation equipped with standard software for cross-sectional imaging. Volume was calculated applying both the ellipsoid model and a manually tracing method. Statistical analyses included 95% confidence intervals (Cl) of the means and limits of agreement according to Bland and Altman, the latter including 95% of all expected values. Results: Volumetric measurements by 3DmsUS and IdCT resulted in very high, significant correlation coefficients, r = 0.997 using the ellipsoid model and r = 0.993 with the manually tracing method. The mean relative differences of the two imaging modalities proved very small (-1.2 +/- 4.0% [95% CI -2.62; 0.28] using the ellipsoid model; 1.1 +/- 5.2% [95% CI -2.93; 0.80] using the manually tracing method) and the limits of agreement sufficiently narrow (-9.1% to 6.8%; -11.3% to 9.2%, respectively). Conclusion: For moderately enlarged thyroids, volumetry with 3DmsUS proved comparable to that of IdCT, irrespective of whether the ellipsoid model or the manually tracing method was applied. Thus, 3DmsUS qualifies as a potential alternative to IdCT, provided that the organ is completely accessible. The use of a standard workstation for cross-sectional imaging with routine software did not prove problematic.

• 出版日期2014