Utility of US elastography: correlation among different variables studied with US elastography and defined by consensus between radiologists and pathologic results (reference standard)
| US Elastography Variables by Consensus | Malignant Nodules | Benign Nodules | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elasticity | ||||
| Predominantly rigid (n = 16) | 6 (37.5%) | 10 (62.5%) | .000 | |
| Indeterminate (n = 46) | 4 (8.7%) | 42 (91.3%) | ||
| Predominantly soft (n = 44) | 0 (0%) | 44 (100%) | ||
| Size | ||||
| Greater diameter in US elastography than B-mode image (n = 15) | 4 (26.7%) | 11 (73.3%) | .068 | |
| Same size as B-mode image (n = 62) | 5 (8.1%) | 57 (91.9%) | ||
| Lesser diameter in US elastography than B-mode (n = 29) | 1 (3.4%) | 28 (96.6%) | ||
| Margins | ||||
| Ill-defined or irregular (n = 41) | 3 (7.3%) | 38 (92.7%) | .548 | |
| Well-defined or regular (n = 65) | 7 (10.8%) | 58 (89.2%) |