Impact of Nodule Size on Malignancy Risk Differs according to the Ultrasonography Pattern of Thyroid Nodules.
10.3348/kjr.2018.19.3.534
- Author:
Min Ji HONG
1
;
Dong Gyu NA
;
Jung Hwan BAEK
;
Jin Yong SUNG
;
Ji Hoon KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon 21565, Korea.
- Publication Type:Multicenter Study ; Original Article
- Keywords:
Thyroid;
Thyroid nodule;
Thyroid malignancy;
Ultrasonography;
Tumor size;
Nodule size;
Risk of malignancy;
Malignancy risk;
Pattern analysis;
Imaging analysis;
Imaging pattern;
Imaging feature
- MeSH:
Carcinoma, Papillary;
Diagnosis;
Female;
Humans;
Information Systems;
Male;
Retrospective Studies;
Thyroid Gland*;
Thyroid Nodule*;
Ultrasonography*
- From:Korean Journal of Radiology
2018;19(3):534-541
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To test whether the impact of thyroid-nodule size on the malignancy risk differs according to the ultrasonography (US) patterns of nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a post hoc analysis using data from the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) multicenter retrospective study which included 2000 consecutive thyroid nodules (≥ 1 cm) with final diagnoses. A total of 2000 consecutive thyroid nodules from 1802 patients (1387 women and 613 men; mean age, 51.2 ± 12.2 years) were enrolled in this study. The malignancy risk of the nodules was assessed according to the nodule size and US patterns (Korean-TIRADS). RESULTS: Overall, the malignancy risk did not increase as nodules enlarged. In high-suspicion nodules, the malignancy rate had no association with nodule size (p = 0.467), whereas in intermediate- or low-suspicion nodules there was a trend toward an increasing malignancy risk as the nodule size increased (p = 0.004 and 0.002, respectively). The malignancy rate of large nodules (≥ 3 cm) was higher than that of small nodules (< 3 cm) in intermediate-suspicion nodules (40.3% vs. 22.6%, respectively; p = 0.001) and low-suspicion nodules (11.3% vs. 7.0%, respectively; p = 0.035). There was a trend toward a decreasing risk and proportion of papillary carcinoma and an increasing risk and proportion of follicular carcinoma or other malignant tumors as nodule size increased (p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The impact of nodule size on the malignancy risk differed according to the US pattern. A large nodule size (≥ 3 cm) showed a higher malignancy risk than smaller nodules in intermediate- and low-suspicion nodules.
