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Preliminary Evaluation of Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Quantification for Differential Diagnosis of Metastatic and Nonmetastatic Cervical Lymph Nodes
Author(s) -
Zhao Yingyan,
Xi Jiaying,
Zhao Baozhen,
Xiong Wenfeng,
Jiang Dong,
Yang Li,
Cai Zhuhong,
Liu Tianjia,
Jiang Haibo,
Rong Shu,
Jin Xiucai
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/ultra.16.03077
Subject(s) - medicine , differential diagnosis , cervical lymph nodes , lymph , pathology , radiology , metastasis , cancer
Objectives Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) is useful for assessing tissue hardness. This study aimed to investigate the value of VTIQ in differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed conventional sonograms and VTIQ images of 85 pathologically confirmed patients with superficial lymph node lesions. Conventional sonography was first performed, with 2‐dimensional images described. Then VTIQ shear wave velocity (SWV) values of superficial lymph nodes were measured. With pathologic diagnosis as the reference standard, a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to evaluate VTIQ efficacy in differential diagnosis of metastatic and nonmetastatic cervical lymph nodes. Results Of the 85 nodes, 44 and 41 were metastatic and nonmetastatic, respectively. The latter group included 24 and 17 hematologic/lymphatic system disease and reactive hyperplastic nodes, respectively. Shear wave velocity values of metastatic nodes were significantly higher than those of their nonmetastatic counterparts ( P < .001). With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.953 and SWV cutoff of 3.27 m/s, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 89.4%, 88.6%, and 90.2%, respectively, for distinguishing metastatic and nonmetastatic nodes. An AUC of 0.943 and SWV cutoff of 3.23 m/s yielded accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 88.2%, 88.6%, and 87.5% for differentiating metastatic from hematologic/lymphatic system disease nodes. Finally, an AUC of 0.968 and SWV cutoff of 3.27 m/s yielded accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 90.2%, 88.6%, and 94.1% for differentiating metastatic from reactive hyperplastic nodes. Conclusions Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification is efficient in differential diagnosis of metastatic and nonmetastatic cervical lymph nodes.