title: Computed tomography features of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No previous study has investigated computed tomography (CT) features of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules using detailed CT features and histopathological results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess CT features of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules in patients who underwent thyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January to April 2014, 151 consecutive patients underwent neck CT before thyroid surgery. In each case, neck CT was retrospectively examined by a single radiologist. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of specific CT features for differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules using histopathological results as a reference standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 173 thyroid nodules in 142 patients, 162 (mean diameter, 12.8 ± 10.3 mm; range, 5.0-93.7 mm) were visualized on neck CT. Of 162 nodules in 133 patients, 116 were malignant and 46 were benign as confirmed by histopathology. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant difference between malignant and benign thyroid nodules in the degree and pattern of nodular enhancement, but there were no significant differences in other CT features. In particular, thyroid nodules with exophytic configuration, irregular margin, taller-than-wide shape, punctate calcifications, or homogeneously decreased enhancement showed a high malignancy rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated that the degree and pattern of nodular enhancement are helpful CT features for differentiating malignant from benign solid thyroid nodules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea dwultra@lycos.co.kr.
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007479:Iopamidol
keywords: Thyroid; computed tomography; malignancy; solid; thyroid nodule