title: Comparison of ultrasonic features between anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the difference of the ultrasonic features between anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ultrasound data of 7 patients with histopathologically confirmed anaplastic thyroid carcinomas who were treated in PUMC Hospital from April 2001 to June 2014 were retrospectively studied. In addition, 21 sex-and age-matched patients with histopathologically confirmed papillary thyroid carcinomas during the same period were enrolled as the control group. The pathologic results were regarded as the gold standard. The ultrasonic features of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma were analyzed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were predominantly females (5/7,71.4%), with an average age of (64.9 ± 11.3) years. Large mass [(5.17 ± 1.26) cm vs. (1.85 ± 1.89)cm, P<0.001], anteroposterior-to-transverse diameter ratio less than 1(100.0% vs. 47.6%, P ＝ 0.03), and punctuate calcification (100.0% vs. 52.4%, P ＝ 0.03) were more frequently associated with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma than with papillary thyroid carcinoma. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the shape, margin, cystic change, echogenicity, echotexture,vascularity,and envelope (all P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In elderly women with common malignant features on ultrasound, the thyroid nodules with a maximum diameter greater than 5 cm,anteroposterior-to-transverse diameter ratio less than 1,and microcalcifications are highly likely to be anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
authors: Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Rui-na
authors: RN
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Shen-ling
authors: SL
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Xiao-yan
authors: XY
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Xia
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Meng
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pathology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Zhi-yong
authors: ZY
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Pathology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Xiny-yu
authors: XY
authors: Ren
authors: Department of Ultrasound, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule; D014463:Ultrasonography