The diagnostic significance of CT value in thyroid benign solitary coarse calcification nodules / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the diagnostic significance of CT in thyroid benign solitary coarse calcification nodules (BCCN).Methods A total of 56 BCCN confirmed by surgical pathology in 55 patients were evaluated,and they were compared with 33 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in 32 patients.The distribution differences of the average CT values and the maximum CT values in BCCN and PTC were observed.The optimal thresholds of the average CT values and the maximum CT values in BCCN and PTC were established by re ceiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis.Results The average CT values in BCCN and PTC were significantly different (t=4.992,P=0.000).The ROC area under curve (AUC) was 0.757 (95％ confidence interval 0.0657-0.0857).When the critical value was 743.4 Hu,Youden index was the largest and the sensitivity and specificity was 48.2％ and 93.9％,respectively.When the critical value was 891.1 Hu,the sensitivity and specificity was 21.4％ and 100％,respectively.The maximum CT values in BCCN and PTC were significantly different (t=5.029,P=0.000).The ROC AUC was 0.775 (95％ confidence interval 0.0681-0.0869).When the critical value was 1201.5 Hu,Youden index was the largest and the sensitivity and specificity was 51.7％ and 91.0％,respectively.When the critical value was 1373.5 Hu,the sensitivity and specificity was 42.9％ and 100％,respectively.Conclusions CT value is of great significance to the diagnosis of BCCN and has high specificity.Compared with the average CT value,the maximum CT value has a relatively higher sensitivity,providing an important base for reducing unnecessary surgical trauma.