Neck Ultrasound and CT for Diagnosing Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Advancing Precision Diagnostics in Biotechnology

Abstract

Accurate and early diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis is critical for improving treatment outcomes and supporting the development of precision diagnostic tools in commercial biotechnology. This study evaluates the efficacy of neck ultrasound combined with computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing PTC with cervical LN metastasis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 patients admitted to our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022, suspected of having cervical LN metastasis. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group diagnosed with CT alone and an observation group diagnosed with neck ultrasound combined with CT. The combined diagnostic approach showed a significantly higher coincidence rate for detecting cervical LN metastasis compared to CT alone (P < 0.05). Key diagnostic indicators, including mean transit time (MTT), peak time (PT), and time to peak (TTP), demonstrated statistically significant differences between LN metastasis and non-metastasis groups (P < 0.05). Additional parameters such as lesion diameter, echo types, calcification patterns, and the ratio of long-to-short lymph node diameters were also significantly different (P < 0.05). Notably, cystic necrosis and enhancement patterns were more prevalent and distinct in the LN metastasis group (P < 0.05). The combined ultrasound-CT method achieved superior diagnostic performance, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates of 93.10%, 33.33%, and 90.00%, respectively, compared to 56.00%, 31.25%, and 46.67% for CT alone (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The integration of neck ultrasound with CT significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy for cervical LN metastasis in PTC patients. This combined approach holds substantial potential for advancing precision diagnostics in oncology, offering critical insights for the commercialization of innovative diagnostic solutions in the biotechnology sector.