EVALUATION OF THYROID NODULES ON HIGH RESOLUTION ULTRASOUND AND COLOUR DOPPLER WITH TIRADS CLASSIFICATION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY FINDINGS

*Prof. (Dr.) Bijit Kumar Duara MD, Dr. Sangeeta Nath MBBS and Prof. (Dr.) Parul Dutta MD

ABSTRACT

Background: Thyroid gland is superficially located endocrine gland. Thyroid gland is affected by various pathologies starting from diffuse enlargement including nodular lesions, thyroiditis, and malignancies. USG is a non invasive, easily available and low cost investigating modality and is most common and the most useful to detect its pathology. The study was conducted with the objective to evaluate the gray scale features and colour doppler findings of thyroid nodules with thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TIRADS), to characterize the thyroid nodules into benign and malignant; to compare gray scale, colour doppler, and thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TIRADS) findings with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings by the use of the bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC). We will also like to determine sensitivity, specificity and risk of malignancy in concluding benign and malignant lesions on high-resolution ultrasound, colour doppler and thyroid imaging reporting and data system findings. Method: This was a prospective study done on 100 patients that referred to the Department of Radiodiagnosis, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam from 1st of August, 2019 to 31st of July, 2020. All the patients with palpable thyroid nodules with or without symptoms were studied under gray scale, colour Doppler USG and then FNAC was performed. Results: Majority of the patients were females in the age group of 21-30 years and mean age of our study was 33.94. USG was found to be useful to differentiate benign thyroid nodules from malignant thyroid nodules. The cases were correlated with FNAC findings. It was found that there was significant correlation between the ultrasound features and FNAC results. The risk stratification for malignancy under TIRADS was also found to have significant correlation with FNAC results. Conclusion: USG is useful to rule out malignant lesions. However, with the addition of both USG and FNAC to rule out the malignant etiology in thyroid nodules then it will play a better role in management of patients.

Keywords: USG, Colour Doppler, FNAC, TIRADS, Thyroid.