Table 2. Comparison of Malignancy Rates, Clinical and Ultrasonographic Features between Initial and Repeat Bethesda Category III Groups.
| Initial Bethesda category III group | Repeat Bethesda category III | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malignant rate | 235/395 (59.5%) a | 49/67 (73.1%) | 0.034 |
| Age (years)* | 48 ± 12 | 47 ± 11 | 0.921 |
| Sex | 0.455 | ||
| Male | 74/388 (19.1%) b | 10/67 (14.9%) | |
| Female | 314/388 (80.9%) | 57/67 (85.1%) | |
| Concurrent cancer | 33/395 (8.4%) | 4/67 (6.0%) | 0.506 |
| Nodule size (mm)* | 12.3 ± 10.4 | 14.6 ± 11.6 | 0.127 |
| Composition (solid) | 336/395 (85.1%) | 54/67 (80.6%) | 0.351 |
| Echogenicity (marked hypoechogenicity) | 67/395 (17.0%) | 10/67 (14.9%) | 0.679 |
| Margin (irregular/microlobulated) | 212/395 (53.7%) | 43/67 (64.2%) | 0.110 |
| Calcification (microcalcification) | 76/395 (19.2%) | 11/67 (16.4%) | 0.585 |
| Shape (nonparallel) | 131/395 (33.2%) | 26/67 (38.8%) | 0.367 |
| Number of suspicious US findings* | 2.1 ± 1.3 | 2.3 ± 1.2 | 0.635 |
| Final US assessment (suspicious) | 278/395 (70.4%) | 43/67 (64.2%) | 0.707 |
| BRAF c | 21/85 (24.7%) | 8/29 (27.6%) | 0.758 |
| Underlying thyroiditis | 53/395 (13.4%) | 10/67 (14.9%) | 0.740 |
*Numbers present the mean±standard deviation
aNumber of nodules with suspicious features / total nodules
bNumber of patients / total patients
cPositive BRAF mutation