ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the pathological basic of some common characteristic of papillary microcarcinoma of thyroid in ultrasound. Methods Totally 117 thyroid papillary microcarcinomas that were completed all thyroid ultrasound examinations before the surgical excisions were collected. Shape, border, internal echogenicity, halo, posterior echogenicity and calciifcation were observed in ultrasound. While the degree of inifltration of the tumor, the tumor’s internal structure as well as calciifcation was observed in pathology. Results IIrregular shape (87.18%, 102/117), unclear border (80.34%, 94/117), hypoechoic (90.60%, 106/117) and microcalciifcations (65.81%, 77/117) were recognized by ultrasound while the main pathological features were invasive growth (93.16%, 109/117), cell components internally (46.15%, 54/117) and calciifcation (56.41%, 66/117). Of the 109 neoplasms which were invasive growth in pathology, 102 (93.58%) nodules presented irregular shape in ultrasound while 91 (77.78%) presented unclear border. All of the 8 neoplasms which were not invasive growth in pathology showed regular shape in ultrasound. Thirteen nodules showed halos in ultrasound, and 8 of them showed visible ifbrous capsule surrounding the mass. Whatever the tumor’s internal structure was, most nodules presented hypoechoic. And the hyperechoic nodules were all found cell components internally. Of the 66 neoplasms which were found calciifcation by microscope, 35 (53.03%) nodules showed calciifcation in ultrasound and 31 (46.97%) did not. And of the 51 neoplasms in which calciifcation were not found by microscope, 42 (82.35%) nodules showed calciifcation in ultrasound and 9 (17.65%%) did not. Conclusions There is no doubt that all the performances of papillary microcarcinoma in ultrasound have bases in pathology. It is helpful to the judgment of a thyroid nodule if we could understand the correlation of performances in ultrasound and pathology.