Table 4. Utility of [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi (MIBI) for the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
| Method | Histopathology results Data (%) | Total (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benign | Malignant | ||
| Early images | |||
| Score 0 | 13 (9.4%) | 2 (9.1%) | 15 (9.3%) |
| Score 1 | 46 (33.1%) | 5 (22.7%) | 51 (31.7%) |
| Score 2 | 43 (30.9%) | 8 (36.4%) | 51 (31.7%) |
| Score 3 | 37 (26.6%) | 7 (31.8%) | 44 (27.3%) |
| Total (%) | 139 (100%) | 22 (100%) | 161 (100%) |
| Late images | |||
| Score 0 | 39 (28.1%) | 10 (45.5%) | 49 (30.4%) |
| Score 1 | 41 (29.5%) | 3 (13.6%) | 30 (18.6%) |
| Score 2 | 29 (20.9%) | 1 (4.5%) | 30 (18.6%) |
| Score 3 | 30 (21.6%) | 8 (36.4%) | 38 (23.6%) |
| Total (%) | 139 (100%) | 22 (100%) | 161 (100%) |
| Tracer uptake trend | |||
| Decrease (washout) | 13 (9.4%) | 6 (27.3%) | 19 (11.8%) |
| Increase (retention) | 78 (56.1%) | 12 (54.5%) | 90 (55.9%) |
| Constant (persistence) | 52 (32.3%) | 4 (18.2%) | 48 (34.5%) |
| Total (%) | 139 (100%) | 22 (100%) | 161 (100.0%) |
The p-value from the early images was not significant, the late images achieved p = 0.044, and the washout/tracer retention method was p = 0.034.