Sonographic features of thyroid nodules included in this studya
| Characteristic | Benign Nodules (n = 287) | Malignant Nodules (n = 167) | Total (n = 454) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter (mm) | .011 | |||
| Mean [SD] | 18.6 [SD, 10.7] | 16.4 [SD, 7.5] | 17.8 [SD, 9.7] | |
| Range | 10.0–73.0 | 10.0–48.0 | 10.0–73.0 | |
| Internal content | <.001 | |||
| Solid | 166 (57.8) | 151 (90.4) | 317 (69.8) | |
| Partially cystic | 121 (42.2) | 16 (9.6) | 137 (30.2) | |
| Cystic | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Echogenicity | <.001 | |||
| Hypoechogenicity | 67 (23.3) | 142 (85.0) | 209 (46.0) | |
| Iso-/hyperechogenicity | 220 (76.7) | 25 (15.0) | 245 (54.0) | |
| Shape | .143 | |||
| Round-to-oval | 278 (96.9) | 157 (94.0) | 435 (95.8) | |
| Irregular | 9 (3.1) | 10 (6.0) | 19 (4.2) | |
| Orientation | <.001 | |||
| Parallel | 267 (93.0) | 80 (47.9) | 347 (76.4) | |
| Nonparallel | 20 (7.0) | 87 (52.1) | 107 (23.6) | |
| Margin | <.001 | |||
| Smooth | 220 (76.7) | 56 (33.5) | 276 (60.8) | |
| Spiculated/microlobulated | 5 (1.7) | 85 (50.9) | 90 (19.8) | |
| Ill-defined | 62 (21.6) | 26 (15.6) | 88 (19.4) | |
| Calcification | <.001 | |||
| None | 256 (89.2) | 49 (29.3) | 305 (67.2) | |
| Microcalcification | 8 (2.8) | 102 (61.1) | 110 (24.2) | |
| Macrocalcification | 23 (8.0) | 16 (9.6) | 39 (8.6) | |
| Spongiform | 0.534 | |||
| Absence | 285 (99.3) | 167 (100.0) | 452 (99.6) | |
| Presence | 2 (0.7) | 0 | 2 (0.4) | |
| CAD diagnosis | <.001 | |||
| Possibly benign | 235 (81.9) | 31 (18.6) | 266 (58.6) | |
| Possibly malignant | 52 (18.1) | 136 (81.4) | 188 (41.4) | |
| Radiologist diagnosis | <.001 | |||
| Possibly benign | 275 (95.8) | 30 (18.0) | 305 (67.2) | |
| Possibly malignant | 12 (4.2) | 137 (82.0) | 149 (32.8) |
↵a The numbers in parentheses are percentages.