A Study on Diagnostic Approaches for Thyroid Nodules Using Ultrasound Imaging

The Objective is to assess the clinical value of ultrasound imaging in diagnosing thyroid nodules and to furnish evidence for facilitating efficient, non-invasive clinical diagnosis. Eighty patients with thyroid nodules admitted between January 2024 and December 2024 were consecutively enrolled in this study. All participants underwent both ultrasound imaging and pathological confirmation. Using pathological findings as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound were computed. For ultrasound diagnosis of thyroid nodules, the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, PPV, and NPV were 88.9%, 85.7%, 87.5%, 82.4%, and 91.3%, respectively. Malignant nodules predominantly presented with hypoechogenicity, ill-defined boundaries, microcalcifications, and abundant vascularity, whereas benign nodules were primarily characterized by hyperechogenicity, well-defined boundaries, and an absence of calcifications. Ultrasound imaging exhibits substantial diagnostic value in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules and thus serves as the first-line non-invasive diagnostic modality in clinical practice. A comprehensive assessment integrating clinicians' expertise with other diagnostic approaches is warranted to enhance diagnostic accuracy.