Table 1 US features of thyroid nodules based on pathological subtypes
US features | Pathological subtypes | P value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PTC *$ | FTC*# | FTA*# | Goiter | Cyst | Thyroiditis | ||
Size (Mean ± SD, mm) | P = 0.001* | P = 0.003# | 0.003 | ||||
9.41 ± 6.98 | 15.56 ± 4.76 | 14.61 ± 8.86 | 9.68 ± 6.65 | 11.03 ± 6.46 | 5.30 ± 2.49 | ||
Composition | 0.280 | ||||||
Solid | 90 (98.9%) | 4 (100.0%) | 24 (96.0%) | 45 (97.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (100.0%) | |
Mainly solid | 1 (1.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (4.0%) | 1 (2.2%) | 4 (40.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Mainly cyst | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (50.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Spongiform | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (10.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Echogenicity | P = 0.018$ | 0.038 | |||||
Hyper | 2 (2.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (8.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Iso | 5 (5.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 7 (28.0%) | 9 (19.6%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | |
Hypo | 60 (65.9%) | 3 (75.0%) | 12 (48.0%) | 31 (67.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | |
Markedly | 4 (4.4%) | 1 (25.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Anechoic | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 10 (100.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Heterogenous | 20 (22.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (16.0%) | 6 (13.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Margin | P = 0.000* | P = 0.002$ | 0.168 | ||||
Well-defined | 5 (5.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 13 (52.0%) | 37 (80.4%) | 10 (100.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Lobulated | 26 (28.6%) | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (12.0%) | 2 (4.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Ill-defined | 60 (65.9%) | 4 (100.0%) | 9 (36.0%) | 7 (15.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (100.0%) | |
Calcification | 0.277 | ||||||
Micro | 52 (57.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 8 (32.0%) | 17 (37.0%) | 6 (60.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Macro | 7 (7.7%) | 2 (50.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 7 (15.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | |
Eggshell | 2 (2.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (4.0%) | 3 (6.5%) | 1 (10.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Mixed | 4 (4.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (12.0%) | 2 (4.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
None | 26 (28.6%) | 2 (50.0%) | 13 (52.0%) | 17 (37.0%) | 3 (30.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | |
Orientation | P = 0.002* | P = 0.000$ | 0.004 | ||||
Parallel | 50 (54.9%) | 4 (100.0%) | 21 (84.0%) | 39 (84.8%) | 7 (70.0%) | 4 (100.0%) | |
Nonparallel | 41 (45.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (16.0%) | 7 (15.2%) | 3 (30.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Shape | P = 0.000* | P = 0.001$ | 0.044 | ||||
Ovoid to round | 12 (13.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 15 (60.0%) | 16 (34.8%) | 10 (100.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Irregular | 79 (86.8%) | 4 (100.0%) | 10 (40.0%) | 30 (65.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (100.0%) | |
Blood flow | P = 0.007* | 0.852 | |||||
Without | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 9 (90.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Low | 76 (83.5%) | 2 (50.0%) | 14 (56.0%) | 32 (71.1%) | 1 (10.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | |
Medium | 10 (11.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | 7 (28.0%) | 7 (15.6%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | |
High | 5 (5.5%) | 1 (25.0%) | 4 (16.0%) | 6 (13.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |