Evaluation of echogenic foci pattern of papillary thyroid carcinoma solitary nodule in lateral cervical lymph node metastasis / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To study the correlation between echogenic foci pattern of papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC) solitary nodule and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis.Methods:The clinical data of 475 patients with echogenic foci in preoperative ultrasound and pathologically confirmed PTC solitary nodule from January to December 2014 in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were retrospectively analyzed, which was categorized into lateral cervical lymph node metastasis group and lateral cervical lymph node non-metastasis group. Echogenic foci was classified into five types: local punctate echogenic foci, diffused punctate echogenic foci, coarse echogenic foci, mixed echogenic foci, peripheral annular and eggshell echogenic foci. The related clinical characteristics and the ultrasonic features were also involved. Chi-Square test and Logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze the correlation.Results:Age, preoperative human thyroglobulin (HTG) level, maximum diameter, location and echogenic foci pattern distributed to lateral cervical lymph node metastasis of PTC solitary nodule in 475 cases, according to univariate analysis ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed diffused punctate echogenic foci, age≤35 years old, maximum diameter >10 mm and upper part were risk factors of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis of PTC solitary nodule. Conclusions:Diffused punctate echogenic foci in PTC solitary nodule, patients younger than 35 years old, maximum diameter larger than 1 cm and nodule location at upper part of the thyroid promote to lateral cervical lymph node metastasis.