Evaluation of US Elastography in Thyroid Nodule Diagnosis: The ElaTION Randomized Control Trial
Background
There is mixed evidence regarding the benefits of using US elastography with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) compared to standard US-guided FNAC for thyroid nodules.
Purpose
This trial aimed to see if US elastography-guided FNAC could lower the rates of nondiagnostic results for thyroid nodules.
Study Details
This was a large, multicenter trial conducted in 18 hospitals across England from February 2015 to September 2018. Adults with thyroid nodules who had not yet had FNAC were randomly assigned to either US elastography FNAC (intervention) or standard US FNAC (control).
Results
A total of 982 participants were included, with an average age of 51.3 years. The main findings were:
- No significant difference in nondiagnostic rates between the two methods (19% for elastography vs 16% for standard; P = .11).
- Similar times to receive a final diagnosis (3.3 months for elastography vs 3.4 months for standard).
- Fewer participants in the elastography group needed further surgery, but this was not statistically significant.
- No differences in cancer rates or benign findings between the two groups.
Conclusion
US elastography does not provide additional benefits over standard US FNAC for diagnosing thyroid nodules.
Clinical Trial Registration
Registered under ISRCTN18261857.
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