The rate of tumour growth does not distinguish between malignant and benign thyroid nodules.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify whether or not the rate of tumour growth is a useful measure for distinguishing papillary thyroid cancer from benign nodules.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Teaching hospital, Japan.


METHODS
Fourteen patients with 27 nodules (<20 mm) followed up for 20 months or more.


METHODS
High resolution ultrasonography (US).


METHODS
Growth rate.


RESULTS
There were 15 papillary thyroid cancers and 12 benign nodules. The median tumour diameters at the first and the last US examination were 9.0 mm (range 6-19) and 9.0 mm (range 5-21) in papillary thyroid cancers followed up for 37 months (range 21-85), and 11.5 mm (range 4-19) and 11.5 mm (range 5-23) in benign nodules followed up for 38 months (range 20-84), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of growth of thyroid nodules as documented by ultrasound did not prove to be useful in distinguishing between malignancy and benign disease of small thyroid nodules (<20 mm).
Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
K
K
Asanuma
S
S
Kobayashi
K
K
Shingu
Y
Y
Hama
S
S
Yokoyama
M
M
Fujimori
J
J
Amano
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002455:Cell Division; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography