Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules

Abstract Background: Thyroid nodules are common; their clinical significance is mainly related to excluding malignancy. Re-gardless of the careful reporting of FNAC and frozen section biopsies, there is significant number of discordance with final histopathology reports, which leads to unnecessary thyroid-ectomies. DWI-MRI can help in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules providing qualitative and quantitative information about the diffusion properties. Aim of Study: Is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) mapping in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules by taking histopathology as the gold standard. Patients and Methods: This study was performed on 32 cases who were diagnosed by ultrasonography to have thyroid nodules; in the General Naval Military Hospital. The patients were referred from the Surgery Department to the Radiology Department over a period of 18 months (January 2018-June 2018). Results: In this study the sensitivity of DWI and ADC mapping in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules reached 100%. Conclusion: Quantitative DWI has a high sensitivity, and may be a reliable, non-invasive and non-radiative imaging modality for the detection of thyroid nodules. ADC values seem to be able to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid disease.