COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GRAY SCALE AND COLOUR DOPPLER ULTRASOUND IN ASSESSMENT OF THYROID NODULE AND CORRELATION WITH FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY

Abstract

Background: Nodular thyroid disease is detected in 3–7% of the adult population worldwide. Although less than 7% of thyroid nodules are malignant, accurate differentiation between benign and malignant nodules is critical for appropriate clinical management. High-resolution ultrasonography (USG) is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating thyroid nodules, and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) remains the gold standard for pathological diagnosis. Aim: To evaluate the role of Gray Scale ultrasound and Color Doppler in the assessment of thyroid nodules and to correlate the findings with FNAC results. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based comparative study was conducted over 18 months in the Department of Radio Diagnosis, SSSMC&RI, Chennai. A total of 59 patients presenting with thyroid nodules were evaluated using Gray Scale ultrasound and Color Doppler. Various sonographic parameters including margins, peripheral halo, echogenicity, composition, calcification, shape, and vascular pattern were assessed. The dominant or most suspicious nodule was considered for each patient. Ultrasound findings were correlated with FNAC cytological results. Results: The study included patients of both sexes across all age groups presenting with thyroid swellings. Gray Scale ultrasound features including hypoechogenicity, irregular margins, microcalcifications, taller-than-wide shape, and absence or irregular peripheral halo showed significant association with malignancy. Color Doppler evaluation revealed that intranodular vascularity was a significant predictor of malignancy. The combination of Gray Scale and Color Doppler findings demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy compared to either modality alone. Conclusion: Gray Scale ultrasound and Color Doppler are complementary modalities in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. Combined use of these techniques improves the diagnostic accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules and helps in reducing unnecessary FNAC procedures.