Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules according to the proportion of sponge-like appearance within the nodules. Methods: A total of 201 thyroid nodules containing sponge-like appearance from 195 patients (157...

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Main Authors: Jee Young Kim, So Lyung Jung, Mee Kyung Kim, Tae-Jung Kim, Jae Young Byun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Korean Society of Ultrasound in Medicine 2015-10-01
Series:Ultrasonography
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.e-ultrasonography.org/upload/usg-15016.pdf
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author Jee Young Kim
So Lyung Jung
Mee Kyung Kim
Tae-Jung Kim
Jae Young Byun
author_facet Jee Young Kim
So Lyung Jung
Mee Kyung Kim
Tae-Jung Kim
Jae Young Byun
author_sort Jee Young Kim
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules according to the proportion of sponge-like appearance within the nodules. Methods: A total of 201 thyroid nodules containing sponge-like appearance from 195 patients (157 women and 38 men) were included this study. Each thyroid nodule was classified into one of three grades by real-time ultrasonography (US) based on the areas with a sponge-like appearance within nodule: grade I had sponge-like areas occupying <50%; grade II, between 50% and 75%; and grade III, >75%. We evaluated whether a correlation existed between these grades and cytopathologic diagnoses. Results: Of the 201 nodules, 196 were benign and five were malignant, and according to the US classification, 101 nodules were grade I, 45 were grade II, and 55 were grade III. Of the five malignant nodules, four were grade I, and one was grade II. No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of malignancy between grade III and grades I and II, due to insufficient statistical power. A sponge-like appearance was correlated with follicles filled with colloid and cholesterol granules in benign nodules and with papillary fronds around the dilated cystic spaces in malignant nodules. Conclusion: No malignancies were found in thyroid nodules with >75% sponge-like appearance. Due to the overall low incidence of malignancy and the limited number of patients, a statistically significant difference could not be found in the prevalence of malignancy depending on the proportion of sponge-like areas within the nodule.
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spelling doaj.art-2962e936db8d4955ab786f2026b227772022-12-22T03:42:31ZengKorean Society of Ultrasound in MedicineUltrasonography2288-59192288-59432015-10-0134430431110.14366/usg.1501694Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlationJee Young Kim0So Lyung Jung1Mee Kyung Kim2Tae-Jung Kim3Jae Young Byun4 Department of Radiology, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, Korea Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, Korea Departments of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, Korea Department of Hospital Pathology, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, Korea Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, KoreaPurpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules according to the proportion of sponge-like appearance within the nodules. Methods: A total of 201 thyroid nodules containing sponge-like appearance from 195 patients (157 women and 38 men) were included this study. Each thyroid nodule was classified into one of three grades by real-time ultrasonography (US) based on the areas with a sponge-like appearance within nodule: grade I had sponge-like areas occupying <50%; grade II, between 50% and 75%; and grade III, >75%. We evaluated whether a correlation existed between these grades and cytopathologic diagnoses. Results: Of the 201 nodules, 196 were benign and five were malignant, and according to the US classification, 101 nodules were grade I, 45 were grade II, and 55 were grade III. Of the five malignant nodules, four were grade I, and one was grade II. No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of malignancy between grade III and grades I and II, due to insufficient statistical power. A sponge-like appearance was correlated with follicles filled with colloid and cholesterol granules in benign nodules and with papillary fronds around the dilated cystic spaces in malignant nodules. Conclusion: No malignancies were found in thyroid nodules with >75% sponge-like appearance. Due to the overall low incidence of malignancy and the limited number of patients, a statistically significant difference could not be found in the prevalence of malignancy depending on the proportion of sponge-like areas within the nodule.http://www.e-ultrasonography.org/upload/usg-15016.pdfThyroid noduleCystsDiagnosis, differentialUltrasonography
spellingShingle Jee Young Kim
So Lyung Jung
Mee Kyung Kim
Tae-Jung Kim
Jae Young Byun
Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
Ultrasonography
Thyroid nodule
Cysts
Diagnosis, differential
Ultrasonography
title Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
title_full Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
title_fullStr Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
title_full_unstemmed Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
title_short Differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge-like areas on ultrasonography: imaging-pathologic correlation
title_sort differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the proportion of sponge like areas on ultrasonography imaging pathologic correlation
topic Thyroid nodule
Cysts
Diagnosis, differential
Ultrasonography
url http://www.e-ultrasonography.org/upload/usg-15016.pdf
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