Ultrasound Elastography for Biomedical Applications and Medicine

36 Thyroid Shear Wave Elastography

Azra Alizad

Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

36.1 Introduction

Shear wave elastography is a quantitative elasticity‐based imaging method that has been of great research interest for thyroid nodule differentiation. This chapter focuses on application of shear wave elastography techniques, more specifically comb‐push ultrasound shear elastography (CUSE), in thyroid imaging.

In addition, we will present the in vivo results of shear wave elastography (SuperSonic Imagine and CUSE) on thyroid. Future developments and potential impact of CUSE in thyroid imaging are also discussed.

36.2 Background

Four to seven percent of the adult population in the United States has a palpable thyroid nodule and only 5% of those identified nodules are malignant [1]. The high prevalence of thyroid nodules is associated with increased imaging examinations for cancerous lesions. Furthermore, incidental thyroid cancers are often identified after diagnostic examinations for non‐thyroidal primary diseases. In recent years, the incidence of differentiated thyroid cancers of all sizes has increased drastically, with a 3‐fold higher rate rise in women, and the numbers of new cases of thyroid cancer are rising faster than that of any other malignancy in recent years [2–5]. Currently, thyroid cancer is the 4th most common cancer in American women (Table 36.1).

Table 36.1 Key statistics for thyroid cancer, 2015.

	Total	Women ...