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Can contrast-enhancement computed tomography texture and histogram analyses help to differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules?

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Japanese Journal of Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We aimed to determine the ability of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) texture and histogram analyses to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Materials and methods

The clinical data from 49 patients with 60 thyroid nodules were retrospectively analyzed. Nodules were classified as malignant or benign based on their histological results. Five texture and histogram parameters of thyroid nodules from CECT images, including entropy, mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis, were compared and analyzed between the two groups. Regions of interest in axial CECT images were delineated manually by two radiologists. Interobserver agreement in texture and histogram parameters between the two radiologists was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The Mann–Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were conducted to estimate the diagnostic capability of texture parameters.

Results

Interobserver reproducibility (ICC = 0.919–0.969) was excellent. Among the 60 nodules, 36 were malignant and 24 were benign. Entropy of malignant thyroid nodules was significantly higher compared with benign thyroid nodules (P = 0.005). A trend toward a higher kurtosis value was observed in malignant thyroid nodules (P = 0.062). When an entropy value of 6.55 was used as a cutoff for differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules, the optimal area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.716 (0.585–0.847, 95% confidence interval, P = 0.005), 75.0%, and 62.5%, respectively.

Conclusions

CECT texture and histogram analyses can be used to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules.

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Funding

This work was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program (2017YFC0113403).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Rd, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Guo, Jianfang Liu & Huishu Yuan

  2. Department of Radiology, Jian Gong Hospital, Beijing, 100053, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Bai

  3. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 17 Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100021, People’s Republic of China

    Dehong Luo

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  1. Wei Guo
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  2. Wei Bai
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Correspondence to Dehong Luo.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in this study.

Ethical approval

The retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and the requirement for informed consent was waived.

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Guo, W., Bai, W., Liu, J. et al. Can contrast-enhancement computed tomography texture and histogram analyses help to differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules?. Jpn J Radiol 38, 1135–1141 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-01018-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-01018-z

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