Table 4. US and CEUS features of benign and malignant nodules of different sizes.
| US and CEUS features | Group A | Group B | Group C | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benign (n=69) | Malignant (n=79) |
P | Benign (n=109) | Malignant (n=170) | P | Benign (n=27) | Malignant (n=13) | P | |||
| Echogenicity on US | 0.009 | <0.001 | 0.171 | ||||||||
| Hypoechoic | 58 (84.1) | 76 (96.2) | 54 (49.5) | 163 (95.9) | 9 (33.3) | 8 (61.5) | |||||
| Highly hypoechoic | 2 (2.9) | 2 (2.5) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |||||
| Hyper/isoechoic | 9 (13.0) | 1 (1.3) | 54 (49.5) | 6 (3.5) | 18 (66.7) | 5 (38.5) | |||||
| Shape on US | 0.010 | <0.001 | >0.999 | ||||||||
| Wider than taller | 40 (58.0) | 29 (36.7) | 101 (92.7) | 87 (51.2) | 25 (92.6) | 12 (92.3) | |||||
| Taller than wide | 29 (42.0) | 50 (63.3) | 8 (7.3) | 83 (48.8) | 2 (7.4) | 1 (7.7) | |||||
| Echogenic foci on US | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||||||
| No calcification | 32 (46.5) | 17 (21.5) | 77 (70.6) | 19 (11.2) | 23 (85.2) | 2 (15.4) | |||||
| Macrocalcification | 13 (18.8) | 6 (7.6) | 21 (19.3) | 17 (10.0) | 4 (14.8) | 3 (23.1) | |||||
| Rim calcification | 3 (4.3) | 1 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (7.7) | |||||
| Punctate echogenic foci | 21 (30.4) | 55 (69.6) | 11 (10.1) | 133 (78.2) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (53.8) | |||||
| Margin on US | 0.050 | <0.001 | 0.048 | ||||||||
| Smooth or ill-defined | 65 (94.2) | 65 (82.3) | 104 (95.4) | 97 (57.1) | 25 (92.6) | 8 (61.5) | |||||
| Irregular or lobulated | 4 (5.8) | 14 (17.7) | 5 (4.6) | 73 (42.9) | 2 (7.4) | 5 (38.5) | |||||
| Extrathyroidal extension on US | 0.306 | <0.001 | 0.002 | ||||||||
| Present | 3 (4.3) | 8 (10.1) | 0 (0.0) | 51 (30.0) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (38.5) | |||||
| Absent | 66 (95.7) | 71 (89.9) | 109 (100.0) | 119 (70.0) | 27 (100.0) | 8 (61.5) | |||||
| Enhancement direction on CEUS | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.845 | ||||||||
| Scattered | 16 (23.2) | 0 (0.0) | 22 (20.2) | 10 (5.9) | 6 (22.2) | 4 (30.8) | |||||
| Centripetal/centrifugal | 53 (76.8) | 79 (100.0) | 87 (79.8) | 160 (94.1) | 21 (77.8) | 9 (69.2) | |||||
| Peak intensity on CEUS | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.002 | ||||||||
| None/isoenhancement | 30 (43.5) | 7 (8.9) | 65 (59.6) | 8 (4.7) | 20 (74.1) | 3 (23.0) | |||||
| Hypoenhancement | 34 (49.3) | 70 (88.6) | 18 (16.5) | 148 (87.1) | 2 (7.4) | 6 (46.2) | |||||
| Hyperenhancement | 5 (7.2) | 2 (2.5) | 26 (23.9) | 14 (8.2) | 5 (18.5) | 4 (30.8) | |||||
| Ring enhancement on CEUS | 0.878 | <0.001 | 0.023 | ||||||||
| Absent | 66 (95.7) | 77 (97.5) | 45 (41.3) | 160 (94.1) | 7 (25.9) | 9 (69.2) | |||||
| Present | 3 (4.3) | 2 (2.5) | 64 (58.7) | 10 (5.9) | 20 (74.1) | 4 (30.8) | |||||
| Composition on CEUS | <0.001 | 0.043 | >0.999 | ||||||||
| Solid | 58 (84.1) | 79 (100.00) | 101 (92.7) | 167 (98.2) | 26 (96.3) | 13 (100.0) | |||||
| Nonsolid | 11 (15.9) | 0 (0.00) | 8 (7.3) | 3 (1.8) | 1 (3.7) | 0 (0.0) | |||||
Data are presented as n (%). The nodules were grouped based on their size as follows: size ≤1 cm, group A; size >1 and ≤4 cm, group B; and size >4 cm, group C. US, ultrasound; CEUS, contrast-enhanced ultrasound.