Table 3. Clinical and Ultrasonographic Characteristics of Repeat Bethesda Category III Nodules.
| Benign | Malignant | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)* | 50 ± 10 | 47 ± 11 | 0.314 |
| Sex | 0.808 | ||
| Male | 3/18 (16.7%) a | 7/49 (14.3%) | |
| Female | 15/18 (83.3%) | 42/49 (85.7%) | |
| Nodule size (mm)* | 17.0 ± 13.7 | 13.7 ± 10.7 | 0.303 |
| Composition (solid) | 11/18 (61.1%)b | 43/49 (87.8%) | 0.032 |
| Echogenicity (marked hypoechogenicity) | 1/18 (5.6%) | 9/49 (18.4%) | 0.267 |
| Margin (irregular/microlobulated) | 3/18 (16.7%) | 40/49 (81.6%) | 0.000 |
| Calcification (microcalcification) | 1/18 (5.6%) | 10/49 (20.4%) | 0.264 |
| Shape (nonparallel) | 3/18 (16.7%) | 23/49 (46.9%) | 0.024 |
| Number of suspicious US findings* | 1.1 ± 1.0 | 2.6 ± 0.9 | 0.000 |
| Final US assessment (suspicious) | 4/18 (22.2%) | 39/49 (79.6%) | 0.000 |
*Numbers present the mean±standard deviation