Clinical and CT features of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investiqate the clinical and CT features of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.Methods:The clinical and CT data of 23 anaplastic thyroid carcinoma patients were retrospectively analyzed, mainly including gender, age, chief complaint, and CT signs such as tumor size, distribution status, morphology, calcification, necrosis, peripheral invasion, lymph node metastasis and lung metastasis.Results:Among 23 cases of ATC, the ratio of male to female was 7∶16. 21 cases (91.3%) had hoarseness or cervical mass, 8 cases (34.8%) had rapid enlargement of tumor size, 6 cases (26.1%) with lesion in unilateral lobe, 8 cases (34.8%) in unilateral lobe + isthmus, 9 cases (39.1%) in bilateral lobe + isthmus, diameter of tumors was (6.1 ± 1.7) cm, 20 cases (87.0%) had irregular shape of tumors. 16 cases (69.6%) with rough calcification, 17 cases (73.9%) with extensive necrosis, 15 cases (65.2%) with tracheoesophageal groove extension, 18 cases (78.3%) with cervical lymph node metastasis, 8 cases (34.8%) with lung metastasis, 16 cases (69.6%) with trachea invasion, 7 cases (30.4%) with common carotid artery invasion, and 10 cases (43.5%) with internal jugular vein invasion.Conclusions:The clinical features include elderly women patients, big tumors size, rapid enlargement of tumor size, CT signs include irregular shape, coarse calcification, extensive necrosis, tracheoesophageal groove extension, cervical lymph node metastasis, lung metastasis and invasion of trachea, common carotid artery and internal jugular vein. These features have great value in the diagnosis of ATC and evaluation of peripheral structure invasion, cervical lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis.