Advances in ultrasound microvascular flow imaging for benign-malignant differentiation of thyroid nodules
WANG Wenhao
ZHAO Zhendan
LI Ming
ZHANG Tongxin
LIU Jingyu
PEI Xiaoqing
ZHANG Huawei
Abstract：Microvascular flow imaging(MVFI)is a novel Doppler flow imaging technique that employs a multi-dimensional filter designed to effectively preserve true low-velocity blood flow signals,while intelligently eliminating interference such as tis-sue motion.Based on its unique algorithm,MVFI enables clear visualization of microvessels without the need for contrast agents,effectively overcoming the limitation of conventional flow imaging techniques in detecting low-velocity microvascular signals,thereby significantly improving the ability of ultrasound to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.There are notable differences in the vascular characteristics of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.MVFI evaluates the blood flow fea-tures of thyroid nodules from three dimensions:blood flow abundance,distribution,and morphology.Benign thyroid nodules of-ten exhibit evenly distributed and regularly shaped blood flow signals,whereas,malignant thyroid nodules typically display dis-ordered abnormal blood flow,among which penetrating vessels are a classic malignant feature.The Vascularity Index,as a quan-titative indicator of MVFI,directly reflects the blood supply within thyroid tissue or nodules and quantitatively analyzes the rich-ness of blood flow signals inside thyroid nodules.Furthermore,the combined application of MVFI with contrast-enhanced ultra-sound,ultrasound elastography,and other techniques can significantly enhance the diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing be-tween benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Keywords：Ultrasound microvascular flow imagingThyroid nodulesVascular index
Publication Date：2026-01-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-20(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 153-156 )