Table 4.
Specific ultrasonographic tumor characteristics in the four subsets
| MTC | % | PTC | % | FTC | % | FTA | % | ANOVA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| shape | 0.951 | ||||||||
| round | 9 | 24 | 10 | 27 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 16 | |
| oval | 17 | 46 | 18 | 49 | 26 | 70 | 25 | 68 | |
| irregular | 11 | 30 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 16 | |
| ttw | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| contour | 0.025 | ||||||||
| smooth | 12 | 32 | 18 | 49 | 17 | 46 | 25 | 68 | |
| ill-defined | 25 | 68 | 19 | 51 | 20 | 54 | 12 | 32 | |
| structure | 0.032 | ||||||||
| homogeneous | 12 | 32 | 11 | 30 | 8 | 22 | 11 | 30 | |
| inhomogeneous | 25 | 68 | 26 | 70 | 29 | 78 | 14 | 38 | |
| cystic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 32 | |
| echogenicity | 0.0993 | ||||||||
| hypoechogeneous | 33 | 89 | 29 | 78 | 26 | 70 | 23 | 62 | |
| hyperechogeneous | 4 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 14 | 38 | |
| isoechogeneous | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| calcifications | 0.0002 | ||||||||
| abscent | 17 | 46 | 20 | 54 | 29 | 78 | 32 | 86 | |
| present | 20 | 54 | 17 | 46 | 8 | 22 | 5 | 14 | |
| focality | 0.5622 | ||||||||
| unifocal | 37 | 100 | 34 | 92 | 36 | 97 | 36 | 97 | |
| multifdocal | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
MTC: medullary thyroid carcinoma, PTC: papillary thyroid carcinoma, FTC: follicular thyroid carcinoma, FTA: follicular thyroid adenoma, ttw: taller-than-wide