Medullary thyroid carcinoma: evaluation of CT and pathologic findings / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the CT features and pathologic findings of MTC. Methods The CT features of 28 patients with MTC confirmed pathologically were analyzed retrospectively and correlated with pathologic findings. Results The tumor invaded one lobe of the thyroid in 22 cases(78.6%), two lobe in 6 cases(21.4%). 5(17.9%) of them presented with heterogeneous hypodense masses and 23(82.1%) of them presented with homogeneous hypodense solitary masses . 20 patients had metastatic lymph nodes. The thyroid masses were enhanced slightly, while the lymph nodes were enhanced obviously. Correlating with pathologic findings, the heterogeneous lesions composed of cystic areas and/or necrosis, while the homogeneous lesions composed of homogeneously distributed tumor cells with no cystic areas or necrosis. The metastatic lymph nodes were hypervascular. Conclusion The CT features of MTC may be described as homogeneous diffuse hypodense mass, with slight enhancement,and invasion of one thyroid lobe in most cases. The metastatic lymph nodes are characterized with enhancement.