Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Subjects at Time of Diagnosis of a Thyroid Nodule
| Feature | All Subjects (n = 152) | Benign Nodules (n = 93) | Malignant Nodules (n = 59) | P Value a |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical findings | ||||
| Age, y (SD) | 14.2 (3.8) | 14.1 (3.8) | 14.4 (4.1) | 0.52 |
| Female | 121 (79.6) | 74 (79.6) | 47 (79.7) | 0.99 |
| White | 104 (72.7) | 70 (78.7) | 34 (62.9) | 0.04 |
| Prepubertal | 12 (9.2) | 10 (12.5) | 2 (3.9) | 0.10 |
| Incidental finding | 54 (35.5) | 36 (38.7) | 18 (30.5) | 0.30 |
| Symptoms of tracheoesophageal pressureb | 12 (7.9) | 7 (11.9) | 5 (5.38) | 0.15 |
| History of malignancy | 17 (11.3) | 12 (12.9) | 5 (8.6) | 0.59 |
| History of radiation therapyc | 16 (10.5) | 11 (11.8) | 5 (8.5) | 0.60 |
| Family history of thyroid diseased | 84 (59.2) | 52 (60.5) | 32 (57.1) | 0.70 |
| Family history of thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer | 45 (32.1) | 29 (34.1) | 15 (29.1) | |
| Family history of thyroid cancer | 18 (12.8) | 11 (12.9) | 7 (12.5) | |
| Family history of nonthyroid malignancy | 55 (39.3) | 34 (40) | 21 (38.2) | 0.83 |
| Clinical findings | ||||
| Diffuse goiter | 60 (39.2) | 35 (37.6) | 25 (42.4) | 0.56 |
| Palpable nodule | 91 (59.9) | 50 (53.8) | 41 (69.5) | 0.05 |
| Palpable cervical lymphadenopathy | 31 (20.3) | 13 (14) | 18 (30.5) | 0.01 |
| TSH, mIU/L (SD) | 1.25 (1.55) | 1.14 (1.49) | 1.31 (1.71) | 0.30 |
| Positive antithyroid antibodies | 36 (35.3) | 20 (32.3) | 16 (40) | 0.42 |
Values are n (%) unless noted otherwise.
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone.
a
P values refer to statistical significance of the difference between subjects with benign and malignant nodules.
b
Symptoms of dysphagia, dysphonia, or globus.
c
Radiation therapy included total body, craniospinal, and/or mediastinal radiation therapy.
d
Any disease causing abnormal thyroid function or thyroid injury, including thyroiditis, Graves disease, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism.