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Ultrasound Elastography of the Thyroid

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Thyroid Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Guided FNA

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Abstract

It has long been recognized that palpably hard thyroid nodules are suspicious for cancer. Conventional gray-scale ultrasound provides information regarding characteristics such as shape, echogenicity, edge definition, calcification, and vascular flow, which have been shown to be correlated with risk of cancer. However, it does not provide direct information corresponding to the hardness of a nodule. Elastography is a technique that utilizes ultrasound to analyze the stiffness of a nodule by measuring the amount of compression that occurs when the nodule is subjected to external pressure. The technique was described two decades ago, but the first report of application to thyroid nodules appeared in 2007. A number of subsequent studies have shown that elastography can provide additional information regarding the probability of malignancy in a nodule.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thyroid Center of New Hampshire, Dartmouth Medical School, Nashua, NH, USA

    Robert A. Levine MD, FACE, ECNU

Authors
  1. Robert A. Levine MD, FACE, ECNU
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Central Florida, North Orange Ave. 2921, Orlando, 32804, Florida, USA

    H. Jack Baskin, Sr.

  2. Endocrinology Associates, North 3rd Avenue 3522, Phoenix, 85613, Arizona, USA

    Daniel S. Duick

  3. Thyroid Center of New Hampshire, Coliseum Avenue 5, Nashua, 03063, New Hampshire, USA

    Robert A. Levine

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Levine, R.A. (2013). Ultrasound Elastography of the Thyroid. In: Baskin, Sr., H., Duick, D., Levine, R. (eds) Thyroid Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Guided FNA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4785-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4785-6_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4784-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4785-6

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