Table 4.
Accuracy of individual ultrasound characteristics.
| Characteristic Level | Cancers
|
Controls
|
Likelihood Ratio
|
Odds Ratio (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitivitya No. (%)(n = 102) |
False Positive Ratea No. (%)(n = 515) |
Characteristic Present LR (95% CI) |
Characteristic Absent LR (95% CI) |
||
| Microcalcifications | 39 (.38) | 28 (.05) | 7.0 (6.0–8.2) | 0.65 (0.56–0.76) | 11.6 (6.5–20)b |
|
| |||||
| Coarse calcifications | 13 (.13) | 34 (.07) | 1.9 (1.6–2.3) | 0.93 (0.78–1.1) | 2.1 (1.1–4.1)c |
|
| |||||
| Rim Calcifications | 5 (.05) | 23 (.04) | 1.1 (0.91–1.3) | 1.0 (0.82–1.2) | 1.0 (0.41–2.6) |
|
| |||||
| Comet Tail Artifact | 17 (.17) | 77 (.15) | 1.1 (0.93–1.3) | 0.98 (0.82–1.2) | 1.1 (0.60–2.0) |
|
| |||||
| Composition | |||||
| Entirely Solid | 68 (.67) | 220 (.43) | 1.6 (1.4–1.8) | 0.58 (0.51–0.66) | 2.2 (1.4–3.5)b |
|
| |||||
| Entirely Cystice | 0 (.00) | 37 (.07) | 0.034 (0.028–0.041) | 1.1 (0.88–1.3) | e |
|
| |||||
| Mixed Solid and Cystic | 34 (.33) | 248 (.48) | 0.69 (0.58–0.82) | 1.3 (1.1–1.5) | 1 |
|
| |||||
| Echogenicity | |||||
| Hypoechoic to strap | 16 (.16) | 33 (.06) | 2.4 (2.0–2.9) | 0.89 (0.75–1.1) | 2.9 (1.4–6.0)d |
|
| |||||
| Isoechoic/hyper to strap | 51 (.50) | 198 (.38) | 1.3 (1.1–1.5) | 0.81 (0.70–0.94) | 1.8 (1.1–2.9)c |
|
| |||||
| Isoechoic to thyroid | 30 (.29) | 209 (.41) | 0.72 (0.61–0.86) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 1 |
|
| |||||
| Hyperechoic to thyroid | 4 (.04) | 38 (.07) | 0.53 (0.44–0.64) | 1.0 (0.86–1.3) | 0.75 (0.25–2.2) |
|
| |||||
| Central vascular flow | 40 (.39) | 136 (.26) | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 0.83 (0.71–0.97) | 1.6 (1.0–2.6)c |
|
| |||||
| Peripheralvascular flow | 49 (.48) | 201 (.39) | 1.2 (1.1–1.4) | 0.85 (0.73–0.99) | 1.3 (0.82–2.1) |
|
| |||||
| Halo | 28 (.27) | 116 (.23) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 0.94 (0.79–1.1) | 2.0 (1.3–3.1) |
|
| |||||
| Margins (ill ldefined/lobulated) | 61 (.60) | 212 (.41) | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 0.68 (0.60–0.78) | 2.0 (1.3–3.1)c |
|
| |||||
| Shape (Taller than wide) | 18 (.18) | 42 (.08) | 2.2 (1.8–2.6) | 0.89 (0.75–1.1) | 2.3 (1.2–4.3)c |
|
| |||||
| Size | |||||
| <=1cm | 30 (.29) | 248 (.48) | 0.61 (0.51–0.73) | 1.4 | 1 |
|
| |||||
| 1.01–2cm | 38 (.37) | 169 (.33) | 1.1 (0.97–1.3) | 0.94 | 1.9 (1.2–3.1)d |
|
| |||||
| >2cm | 34 (.33) | 97 (.19) | 1.8 (1.5–2.1) | 0.82 | 3.1 (1.8–5.2)b |
a
Each characteristic was considered individually and was not adjusted for the presence of the other findings. The odds ratios were adjusted for multiple nodules within subjects, while the accuracy statistics were not adjusted for multiple nodules within subjects. The numbers may not sum as nodules in which the ultrasound characteristic was missing are included in the calculations of sensitivity and specificity but are not shown in the table.
b
p < .001
c
p < .05
d
p < .01
e
Entirely cystic includes cystic honeycomb. To calculate the likelihood ratio, 0.25 was added to zero cells. Because entirely cystic nodules had no cancer cases, an odds ratio could not be calculated.