Differences in sonographic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma between neck lymph node metastatic and nonmetastatic groups.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in sonographic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma between neck lymph node metastatic and non-metastatic groups.


METHODS
A total of 155 patients with 155 papillary thyroid carcinoma nodules were included and divided into two groups: with neck lymph node metastases (52 cases) and without neck lymph node metastases (103 cases). The size, shape, border, margin, halo, internal architecture, echogenicity, echo homogeneity, calcifications, and contact extent between the nodule border and thyroid capsule were evaluated by gray scale sonography, and color Doppler sonography was applied to assess the vascularization distribution and vascularization degree in the nodules. The peak systolic velocity, pulsatility index, resistive index, peak systolic velocity difference, pulsatility index difference, and resistive index difference were measured by pulsed Doppler sonography in 80 lesions. The differences in the sonographic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma between the metastatic and nonmetastatic groups were investigated.


RESULTS
The differences in the size, percentage of the nodule border that contacted the thyroid capsule, calcifications, vascularization degree, and resistive index difference of the lesions were statistically significant between the metastatic and nonmetastatic groups (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that a larger size, a greater contact percentage, combined microcalcifications and macrocalcifications, a higher blood supply, and a higher resistive index difference were significantly more common in the metastatic group compared to the nonmetastatic group.
Departmentof Ultrasound, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Wei-Wei
WW
Zhan
Ping
P
Zhou
Jian-Qiao
JQ
Zhou
Shang-Yan
SY
Xu
Ke-Min
KM
Chen
D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*