Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients stratified by the status of metastatic central lymph nodes
| Characteristics | The status of metastatic central lymph nodes
|
P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Negative | ||
| Total | 281 (41.8%) | 392 (58.2%) | |
| Tumor size (mm) | 7.11±1.90 | 6.44±1.81 | <0.001 |
| ≤5 (n, %) | 68 (24.2%) | 123 (31.4%) | 0.042 |
| >5 (n, %) | 213 (75.8%) | 269 (68.6%) | |
| Age at diagnosis (years) | 46.37±10.44 | 47.58±10.44 | 0.14 |
| <45 (n, %) | 121 (43.1%) | 152 (38.8%) | 0.264 |
| ≥45 (n, %) | 160 (56.9%) | 240 (61.2%) | |
| Gender | 0.13 | ||
| Male (n, %) | 82 (29.2%) | 94 (24.0%) | |
| Female (n, %) | 199 (70.8%) | 298 (76.0%) | |
| BRAF mutation | <0.001 | ||
| Yes (n, %) | 243 (86.5%) | 294 (75.0%) | |
| No (n, %) | 38 (13.5%) | 98 (25.0%) | |
| Tumor location | <0.001 | ||
| Lower (n, %) | 78 (27.8%) | 61 (15.6%) | |
| Upper/middle/isthmus (n, %) | 203 (72.2%) | 331 (84.4%) | |
| Margin | 0.002 | ||
| Well defined (n, %) | 167 (59.4%) | 278 (70.9%) | |
| Not well defined (n, %) | 114 (40.6%) | 114 (29.1%) | |
| Contact of >25% with the adjacent capsule | <0.001 | ||
| Yes (n, %) | 159 (56.6%) | 55 (15.2%) | |
| No (n, %) | 122 (43.4%) | 337 (84.8%) | |
| Display of enlarged lymph nodes | <0.001 | ||
| Present (n, %) | 157 (55.9%) | 127 (32.4%) | |
| Absent (n, %) | 124 (44.1%) | 265 (67.6%) | |
| No. of nodules | 0.117 | ||
| Single (n, %) | 221 (78.6%) | 327 (83.4%) | |
| Multiple (n, %) | 60 (21.4%) | 65 (16.6%) | |
| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis | 0.262 | ||
| Yes (n, %) | 57 (20.3%) | 95 (24.2%) | |
| No (n, %) | 224 (79.7%) | 297 (75.8%) | |
| Calcification | 0.001 | ||
| Present (n, %) | 175 (62.2%) | 194 (49.5%) | |
| Absent (n, %) | 106 (37.8%) | 198 (50.5%) | |
| Shape | 0.659 | ||
| Regular (n, %) | 239 (85.1%) | 337 (86.0%) | |
| Irregular (n, %) | 42 (14.9%) | 55 (14.0%) | |
| Intact capsule | 0.480 | ||
| Yes (n, %) | 152 (54.1%) | 223 (56.9%) | |
| No (n, %) | 129 (45.9%) | 169 (43.1%) | |
| Composition | 0.793 | ||
| Solid (n, %) | 274 (97.5%) | 384 (98.0%) | |
| Cystic or mixed (n, %) | 7 (2.5%) | 8 (2.0%) | |
| Vascularization | 0.506 | ||
| Present (n, %) | 14 (5.0%) | 25 (6.4%) | |
| Absent (n, %) | 267 (95.0%) | 367 (93.6%) | |