DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF SHEAR WAVE ELASTOGRAPHY AND PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA

Abstract

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignant thyroid neoplasm. Despite advances in ultrasound diagnostics and fine-needle aspiration biopsy, differential diagnosis between malignant and benign thyroid lesions remains challenging, particularly in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). Shear wave elastography (SWE) and inflammatory cytokines are considered promising non-invasive diagnostic markers.