Accuracy of colour Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules
- 1Department of Radiology and Imaging, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- 2Department of Radiology and Imaging, Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abstract
Background: Thyroid nodules are common and require accurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions to guide management and avoid unnecessary surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of combined grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonography in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules, using postoperative histopathology as the gold standard.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study of adult patients with clinically diagnosed thyroid nodules who underwent surgery at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, between November 2024 and June 2025. Two consultant radiologists independently assessed grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonographic features, blinded to histopathological findings. We used postoperative histopathology as the reference standard and calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), likelihood ratios, and overall accuracy.
Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of 64 adult participants was 42.4 (13.5) years, with a female predominance (85.9%). Colour Doppler ultrasonography classified 16 (25.0%) thyroid nodules as malignant and 48 (75.0%) as benign. Subsequent postoperative histopathological examination confirmed 17 (26.6%) nodules as malignant and 47 (73.4%) as benign. Colour Doppler ultrasonography showed a sensitivity of 88.2% (95% CI: 63.6–98.5), a specificity of 97.9% (95% CI: 88.7–99.9), and an overall accuracy of 95.3% (95% CI: 87.1–98.4%).
Conclusion: Combined grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
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BibTeX
@article{hossain2026accuracy,
title = {{Accuracy of colour Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules}},
author = {ASM Shahidul Hossain and Mohammad Ali Kabir and Sanjida Afrin and Partha Pratim Saha and Bibekananda Halder and Mostofa Kamal Mahmud Hasan},
journal = {Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Journal},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3329/bsmmuj.v19i4.90135},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3329/bsmmuj.v19i4.90135},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Accuracy of colour Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules
AU - ASM Shahidul Hossain
AU - Mohammad Ali Kabir
AU - Sanjida Afrin
AU - Partha Pratim Saha
AU - Bibekananda Halder
AU - Mostofa Kamal Mahmud Hasan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
JO - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Journal
DO - 10.3329/bsmmuj.v19i4.90135
UR - https://doi.org/10.3329/bsmmuj.v19i4.90135
AB - Background: Thyroid nodules are common and require accurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions to guide management and avoid unnecessary surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of combined grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonography in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules, using postoperative histopathology as the gold standard. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study of adult patients with clinically diagnosed thyroid nodules who underwent surgery at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, between November 2024 and June 2025. Two consultant radiologists independently assessed grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonographic features, blinded to histopathological findings. We used postoperative histopathology as the reference standard and calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), likelihood ratios, and overall accuracy. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of 64 adult participants was 42.4 (13.5) years, with a female predominance (85.9%). Colour Doppler ultrasonography classified 16 (25.0%) thyroid nodules as malignant and 48 (75.0%) as benign. Subsequent postoperative histopathological examination confirmed 17 (26.6%) nodules as malignant and 47 (73.4%) as benign. Colour Doppler ultrasonography showed a sensitivity of 88.2% (95% CI: 63.6–98.5), a specificity of 97.9% (95% CI: 88.7–99.9), and an overall accuracy of 95.3% (95% CI: 87.1–98.4%). Conclusion: Combined grayscale and colour Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
SN - 2074-2908
SN - 2224-7750
ER -