Objective To investigate the value of ultrasound in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions with rimlike peripheral calcification.Methods Seventy-three patients of thyroid nodules with rimlike peripheral calcification were analyzed retrospectively.All cases were confirmed by surgery and pathology.The efficacy of sonographic features on diagnosis of thyroid nodules was analyzed.Results Among 73 patients,58 (58/73,79.45％) were benign and 15 (15/73,20.55％) were malignant.Among the sonographic features mentioned,the mean size,margin,internal echo and presence of halo showed no significant differences between malignant and benign nodules (all P＞0.05).Proportion of thyroid nodules coexisting with nodular goiter,irregular thickness and interruption of rimlike peripheral calcification had significant differences between malignant and benign nodules (all P＜0.05).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of coexisting with nodular goiter for diagnosing benign nodules were 77.59％ (45/58),60.00％ (9/15),88.24 ％ (45/51),40.91％ (9/22),respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of irregular thickness for diagnosing malignant nodules were 53.33 ％ (8/15),87.93％ (51/58),53.33％ (8/15),87.93％ (51/58),respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of interruption of rimlike peripheral calcification for diagnosing malignant nodules were 73.33％ (11/15),68.97％ (40/58),37.93％ (11/29),90.91％ (40/44),respectively.Conclusion Ultrasonography is helpful to diagnosis of thyroid nodules with rimlike peripheral calcification.Irregular thickness and interruption of calcification are associated with malignancy.

Objective To explore the best cutoff point of the quantitative analysis of organization diffusion for differentiating liver fibrosis and to assess its diagnostic value.Methods Sixty-five patients with chronic hepatitis B were examined with quantitative analysis of organization diffusion before liver biopsy,and made a ROC analysis of diagnostic test.All cases confirmed by pathology.Results 114.95 was the best cutoff point of the strain average value which was one parameter of the quantitative analysis of organization diffusion,the area under the curve of ROC was 0.950 (P=0.000),and the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy were 92.3%,87.2% and 89.2%,respectively.Conclusions The quantitative analysis of organization diffusion is helpful in diagnosing liver fibrosis.

Objective To evaluate the value of grey scale ultrasonography (US) combined with elastography in the difference diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions. Methods Sixty-two patients with 81 lesions were examined by grey scale US and elastography preoperatively. All the lesions were confirmed by pathology. According to their features of grey scale ultrasonograms and elastograms, two receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn, one for gray ultrasound and one for the combination methods. The area under curve (AUC) of them were made a comparison. Results The cut-off value of the grey scale group was equal or more than 5, the sensitivity,specificity was 60. 0% ,98. 5%. And the cut-off value of grey scale US combined with elastography group was equal or more than 6, the sensitivity, specificity was 80.0%, 89.4%. The AUC of grey scale US was 0.860 and that of the combination group was 0. 916. The difference between them was statistically significant Z = - 7. 863, P = 0. 000). Conclusions The grey scale US combined with elastography could improve sensitivity and decrease omission diagnose rate. It may be more helpful in the difference diagnosis of malignant from benign thyroid lesions.

Objective To find out the valuable ultrasonographic features for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid solitary nodular, and to apply the binary Logistic regression model in analysis of ultrasonography of thyroid solitary nodular. Methods Two-dimensional ultrasonography was performed in 194 patients with thyroid solitary nodular confirmed with surgical pathology. A Logistic model was obtained on the basis of ultrasonographic features. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the performance of the Logistic model. Results Three ultrasonographic features including shape, calcification and heterogeneous texture were finally entered into the Logistic model. The percentage of correct prediction was 91.75%. The area under ROC curve was 0.916±0.035. Conclusion The binary Logistic regression can select the valuable indexes in the differential diagnosis of thyroid solitary nodular. The application of binary Logistic regression model can improve the diagnosis accuracy of thyroid solitary nodular.

Objective To explore value of detecting fetal thymus size with the thymic-thoracic ratio (TT-ratio).Methods Prenatal ultrasonography examinations were performed on totally 317 normal singleton healthy pregnancies from 18 to 39 gestational weeks.The normal thymus of fetus were observed on the three-vessel-trachea (3VT) view.The anteroposterior diameter of the thymus (T1) was measured between the anterior border of the aortic arch and posterior border of sternum.The intrathoracic mediastinal diameter (T2) was measured between the anterior border of thoracic vertebral body and posterior border of sternum.The TT-ratio was then calculated as the ratio of T1 to T2.Scatter plot between TT-ratio and gestational age was drawn.And the Spearman regression analysis was performed.Results The thymus of fetus was shown as an irregular homogenous structure in the anterior mediastinum on the 3VT view.The mean TT-ratio was 0.45± 0.03.There was no correlation between TT-ratio and gestation (rs =0.06,P=0.29).Conclusion Prenatal ultrasound can display the thymus obviously.TT-ratio could be applied to assess the fetal thymus size,which can provides clinical basis for the detection of absent or hypoplastic thymus in fetus.