Acoustic radiation force imaging of the thyroid-generation of reference values by Virtual Touch Imaging and Quantification

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate potential subject-related confounding factors for thyroid acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography.

Methods and materials: A total of 194 subjects participated in the study.

Results: The standard values in the right lobe were 2.52±0.35m/s (ventral half) and 2.43±0.40m/s (dorsal half). In the left lobe, velocities of 2.56±0.37m/s (ventral) and 2.48±0.42m/s (dorsal) were noted. A clear difference was observed between measurement values in the ventral and dorsal half (P<.0001). By contrast, none of the other factors exerted any effect on the measurements.

Conclusions: ARFI-Virtual Touch Imaging and Quantification appears to be a suitable and relatively robust method for examining the thyroid gland.

Keywords: ARFI–VTIQ; Reference value generation; Shear wave elastography; Thyroid gland.