Abstract

Objectives: Investigating the clinical, paraclinical characteristics of the study patient group. Evaluating the diagnostic value of combining tissue elastography and cytology in the preoperative diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to examine factors influence.

Methods: This study included 30 patients diagnosed with PTC who underwent surgery at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital from January 2024 to November 2024.

Results: PTC is a common malignancy in females, particularly in patients younger than 55 years. Most cases were detected incidentally without any clinical symptoms. On ultrasonography, the majority of cases were classified as TIRADS IV and V, accounting for 36.7% and 63.3%, respectively. The predominant elastography features included Rago scores of 4 and 5, strain ratio (SR) > 4, and elasticity index/blood index (EI/B) ≥ 1. The majority of malignant cases were classified as Bethesda V (33.3%) and Bethesda VI (40%). The combination of cytological findings with elastography increased sensitivity to nearly 95%, which was higher than either method alone. In this study, no significant correlation was found between the investigated factors and the SR.

Conclusion: The combination of tissue elastography and fine-needle aspiration cytology is an effective preoperative diagnostic approach for papillary thyroid carcinoma, supporting accurate and timely clinical decision-making.