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Determination whether spectral Doppler ultrasound parameters, including resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), or vascular pattern can be used to distinguish malignant from benign thyroid nodules.

This study was done in 2009-2010. 120 patients with thyroid nodules were selected from our patients attending Al-zahra hospital, in Isfahan. We prospectively examined 120 thyroid nodules in patients undergoing surgery. The flow pattern seen via power Doppler examination was ranked for each nodule on a scale of 0 to 4 as follows: absent, perinodular alone, mixed with perinodularprominency, mixed with intranodularprominency, and exclusively intranodular, respectively. For each nodule, the RI and PI values were recorded as the average of the recordings obtained. Pathological examination were used as a proof of final diagnosis to categorize all nodules as benign or malignant. The data collected in check list then the data analyzed by chi-square with SPSS software.

The mean age in patients was 45.44 ± 14.3 years. The malignant nodules had a mean RI of 61 ± 0.05 percent. These values were significantly higher than those associated with benign nodules (P = 0.000). Shifting to intranodular vascularization had a significant correlation with malignancy (P = 0.001).

Spectral parameter and vascular pattern are useful to distinguish malignant from benign thyroid nodules, especially for those with suspicious or undetermined fine-needle aspiration biopsy.