Table 2.
Characteristics of patients with thyroid cancer and benign nodules. Thyroid hormone therapy, positivity of anti-TPO and anti-Tg, ultrasound signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, TSH <0.5 mIU/l, TSH >5 mIU/l, TV >75, and percentile and thyroid volume < 25. Percentiles are expressed in percent.
| Malignant | Benign | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 57 (41–66) | 57 (41–66) | 0.95 |
| Gender (M : F) | 20 : 71 | 40 : 142 | 1 |
| Levothyroxine therapy | 21/91 (23%) | 47/182 (26%) | 0.72 |
| Thyroid volume (ml) | 13.8 (9.5–19.5) | 12.7 (9–18.5) | 0.55 |
| TSH (mIU/l) | 1.88 (0.92–2.93) | 1.21 (0.59–1.87) | <0.001 |
| Positivity of anti-TPO | 40/91 (44%) | 49/182 (27%) | 0.005 |
| Positivity of anti-Tg1 | 27/78 (35%) | 36/174 (21%) | 0.018 |
| Ultrasound signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis | 32/91 (35%) | 49/182 (27%) | 0.16 |
| TSH under 0.5 (mIU/l) | 11/91 (12%) | 40/182 (22%) | 0.029 |
| TSH over 5 (mIU/l) | 5/91 (5,5%) | 7/182 (3,8%) | 0.53 |
| Thyroid volume > 75. percentile (18 ml) | 24/85 (28%) | 48/175 (27%) | 0.78 |
| Thyroid volume < 25. percentile (9 ml) | 21/85 (25%) | 39/175 (22%) | 0.66 |
TSH and thyroid volume are expressed in median (interquartile range). TSH: thyroid-stimulating hormone; anti-TPO: antibodies against thyroid peroxidase; anti-Tg: antibodies against thyroglobulin. 117 malignant patients were excluded from anti-Tg analysis due to missing anti-Tg results.