Table 2. Comparison of qualitative and quantitative SMI between benign and malignant nodules in the same sections.
| Parameter | Thyroid nodules | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benign | Malignant | ||
| Longitudinal section | |||
| Qualitative SMI | 0.01 | ||
| Type I | 5 | 4 | |
| Type II | 12 | 22 | |
| Type III | 11 | 55 | |
| Quantitative SMI-VI (mean ± SD), % | 13.8±10.6 | 19.9±11.4 | 0.01 |
| Transverse section | |||
| Qualitative SMI | 0.002 | ||
| Type I | 6 | 3 | |
| Type II | 12 | 24 | |
| Type III | 10 | 54 | |
| Quantitative SMI-VI (mean ± SD), % | 11.3±8.7 | 20.2±12.1 | 0.001 |
SMI-VI, superb microvascular imaging-based vascular index; SD, standard deviation.