integrated synchronization and triplanar reconstruction of 4d b-mode and color doppler thyroid ultrasound data for localization of thyroid lesions

甲状腺结构和功能信息的同步可视化

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disorder (AITD), is the leading cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas of the world1. It is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and autoantibodies against thyroid antigens, leading to the destruction of thyroid architecture and hypothyroidism2. Staging of HT aims to assess the severity and guide treatment decisions. It relies on a combination of biochemical markers such as thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid autoantibodies3, as well as ultrasonographic features visible on thyroid ultrasound4,5,6.
On ultrasound examination, HT demonstrates characteristic findings, including diffusely decreased echogenicity, heterogeneous echotexture, micronodularity, and increased blood flow on color Doppler6,7. However, conventional two-dimensional (2D) grayscale ultrasound lacks quantitative methods for systematically analyzing these features for HT staging8. The assessment of vascularity changes is also limited to qualitative visual inspection in 2D mode. The complex three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the thyroid gland further hampers thorough evaluation using conventional 2D slicing9,10. These factors lead to imaging blind spots and misinterpretation, resulting in low sensitivity and specificity, especially for less experienced practitioners11,12.
Conventional handheld ultrasound scanning integrates real-time acquisition and diagnosis. This coupled workflow reliance increases the likelihood of oversight errors during scanning. The lack of spatial localization and tracking also makes lesion identification and monitoring imprecise12,13. Dedicated 3D ultrasound systems have emerged to address these limitations and have shown promising results14,15. However, most 3D ultrasound technologies require complex mechanical scanning mechanisms and specialized transducers, leading to high costs and barriers to adoption.
To overcome the limitations of conventional 2D and 3D ultrasound techniques, this study proposes a novel 3D reconstruction and visualization solution tailored for thyroid examination. Using widely available handheld ultrasound, multiple 2D sweeps are first acquired to scan the entire thyroid gland. 3D volumetric reconstruction is then realized by spatial registration and fusion of the 2D sequences. Concurrently, color Doppler frames are coregistered to create vascularity maps visualizing blood flow changes. The reconstructed 3D grayscale volumes and colored vascularity maps are finally integrated into a single platform, enabling synchronized multi-planar visualization and combined structural-functional inspection.
This proposed 3D fusion technique provides a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the complex thyroid morphology from different aspects. By minimizing blind spots and enabling global overview, it could help improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce oversight errors, especially benefiting novice practitioners. The multi-modal visualization also facilitates rapid and precise localization of lesions, holding promise for early diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules and tumors. Moreover, the method introduces quantitative 3D feature analysis which has not been investigated for HT staging before. With wide adoption, it has the potential to standardize and objectify the currently experience-dependent ultrasound diagnosis procedures. By synergistically integrating handheld 3D reconstruction, multi-modal fusion, quantitative feature analysis, and flexible visualization into a streamlined workflow, this low-cost, easy-to-use technique represents a diagnostically powerful leap from conventional 2D ultrasound for advancing thyroid examination.

作者聚焦：将超声成像与生化标志物相结合用于甲状腺疾病诊断

与彩色多普勒映射相结合的同步三平面重建，可精确快速定位甲状腺病变

The scope of our research focus on the precise, quantitative diagnosis of thyroid disease, specifically exploring how different status of the disease can be accurately quantified. Currently, the fusion diagnosis of ultrasound imaging and the solid biochemical markers is being utilized to advance research in our field. We have established significant findings in our field by synchronizing the ultrasound, and the Color Doppler ultrasound in 3D space to diagnose solid imaging indicators and integrate them with biochemical indicators.With our protocol, we are addressing the research gap by utilizing portable handheld ultrasound devices to achieve panoramic observation and diagnosis of the triplanar views of solid ultrasound imaging. Our protocol offers the advantage of high cost-effectiveness, and comprehensive precise diagnosis compared to other techniques.

4D B模和彩色多普勒甲状腺超声数据的集成同步和三平面重建，用于定位甲状腺病变

加载甲状腺形态的B模和彩色多普勒四维超声文件后，以两个四维矩阵作为输入执行Synchronize_B_C函数，查看数据的维度。使用带有四维B模式超声数据的thyroid_triplanar函数，生成甲状腺的三个正交平面。单击并拖动十字准线的中心，对从超声重建的甲状腺解剖结构进行任意 3D 检查。在图像的任何区域上按住鼠标左键并拖动，以实时修改亮度和对比度级别。松开鼠标按钮以确认并完成调整。利用thyroid_3D_blood函数与四维C型超声数据，生成甲状腺血管结构的三个正交平面。单击并拖动十字准线的中心，对从超声重建的甲状腺解剖结构进行任意 3D 检查。在图像的任何区域上按住鼠标左键并拖动，以实时修改亮度和对比度级别。松开鼠标按钮以确认并完成调整。拖动从 B 模式超声中提取的十字准线交互和三平面视图以定位感兴趣区域。执行US_B2C以获得彩色多普勒三平面视图中的相应位置。拖动从多普勒超声中提取的十字准线相互作用和三平面视图以定位感兴趣区域。然后执行US_C2B，获取B模式三平面视图中的相应位置。在三个正交平面上同步可视化结构和功能信息，显著有助于甲状腺病变的精确定位和严重程度确定。

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Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Integrated Synchronization and Triplanar Reconstruction of 4D B-Mode and Color Doppler Thyroid Ultrasound Data for Localization of Thyroid Lesions

25 次观看.  Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. 加载甲状腺形态的B模和彩色多普勒四维超声文件后，以两个四维矩阵作为输入执行Synchronize_B_C函数，查看数据的维度。使用带有四维B模式超声数据的thyroid_triplanar函数，生成甲状腺的三个正交平面。单击并拖动十字准线的中心，对从超声重建的甲状腺解剖结构进行任意 3D 检查。在图像的任何区域上按住鼠标左键并拖动，以实时修改亮度和对比度级别。松开鼠标按钮以?...

视频: 4D B模和彩色多普勒甲状腺超声数据的集成同步和三平面重建，用于定位甲状腺病变

Synchronous Triplanar Reconstruction Integrated with Color Doppler Mapping for Precise and Rapid Localization of Thyroid Lesions

This paper proposes a novel thyroid examination technique based on five-dimensional (5D) synchronous reconstruction of ultrasound data. The raw temporal sequences are reconstructed into 3D volumetric data reflecting anatomical structure. Triplanar visualization from three orthogonal planes is realized to provide a systematic inspection of the entire gland. Color Doppler imaging is integrated into each triplanar slice to map vascularity changes. This multi-modal fusion enables synchronous display of structural, functional, and blood flow information in the reconstructed 5D space. Compared to conventional scanning, this technique offers the benefits of flexible offline diagnosis, reduced dependency on scanning, enhanced intuitive interpretation, and comprehensive multi-aspect evaluation. By minimizing oversight errors, it could improve diagnostic accuracy, especially for novice practitioners. The proposed 5D fusion method allows rapid and precise localization of lesions for early detection. Future work will explore integration with biochemical markers to further improve diagnostic precision. The technique has considerable clinical value for advancing thyroid examination.

Here we present a 5D ultrasound technique combining multi-planar 3D reconstruction and color Doppler fusion, which enables synchronous visualization of thyroid structural and functional information. By minimizing blind spots, this method allows rapid, precise localization of lesions to improve diagnostic accuracy, especially benefiting novice practitioners.

This paper proposes a novel thyroid examination technique based on five-dimensional (5D) synchronous reconstruction of ultrasound data. The raw temporal ...