title: Preoperative ultrasonographic tumor characteristics as a predictive factor of tumor stage in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of tumor characteristics on ultrasonography for predicting the pathologic stage of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 354 patients who underwent surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma (≤2 cm). We analyzed the preoperative ultrasonography findings such as tumor size, shape, margin, echogenicity, calcification, vascularity, and contact with the capsule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor size, echogenicity, and contact with the capsule were predictive for the presence of extrathyroid extension. Size and echogenicity were significantly associated with central lymph node metastasis in the multivariate analysis. Some ultrasonography characteristics such as round shape, well-defined margin, and isoechoic echogenicity were negative predictive factors for extrathyroid extension and central lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative tumor characteristics on ultrasonography correlated with several prognostic factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma and may serve as preoperative supplementary markers for determining the optimal extent of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Joo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Choon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong-Jang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Hyung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yun Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Bo Hyun
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In-Joo
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012372:ROC Curve; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult