title: Can Nodular Hyperplasia of the Thyroid Gland be Differentiated From Follicular Adenoma and Follicular Carcinoma by Ultrasonography?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic features for differentiation of follicular thyroid lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ultrasonographic features of surgically confirmed 56 follicular adenoma (FA), 22 follicular carcinoma (FC), and 100 nodular hyperplasia (NH) were evaluated using univariable and multivariable multinomial logistic regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic analyses, and areas under the curve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor diameter, margin, echotexture, cystic changes, calcification, hypoechoic rim, and vascularity were significant on univariable analysis. On multivariable logistic regression analyses, tumor diameter (FA, P = 0.002; odds ratio [OR], 0.75; FC, P = 0.001; OR, 2.02), absence of cystic changes (FA, P = 0.127; OR, 2.21; FC, P ≤ 0.001; OR, 17.74), absence of spongiform appearance (FA, P = 0.234; OR, 0.31; FC, P < 0.001; OR,  1673.46), and peripheral vascularity (FA, P = 0.004; OR, 26.64; FC, P < 0.001; OR, 145060.38) differed significantly among the 3 follicular lesions, with NH as a reference. The areas under the curve for NH, FA, and FC were 0.844, 0.858, and 0.705, respectively, and diagnostic accuracy was 72.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor diameter, cystic changes, spongiform appearance, and peripheral vascularity differed significantly among follicular lesions. The diagnostic capability was moderate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Hyun Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Eun Hye
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult