Table 3.
Ultrasound (US) characteristics of benign and malignant thyroid nodules with intermediate and low suspicion.
| US characteristics | Malignant nodules (n = 29) | Benign nodules (n = 134) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halo | 0.183 | ||
| Absent | 17 (58.6) | 58 (43.3) | |
| Regular and thin | 8 (27.6) | 62 (46.3) | |
| Irregular | 4 (13.8) | 14 (10.4) | |
| Internal component | 0.157 | ||
| Solid | 20 (69.0) | 74 (55.2) | |
| Predominantly solid | 9 (31.0) | 47 (35.1) | |
| Predominantly cystic | 0 (–) | 13 (9.7) | |
| Echogenicity | 0.033 | ||
| Hyperechogenicity | 1 (3.4) | 18(13.4) | |
| Isoechogenicity | 5 (17.2) | 53 (39.6) | |
| Hypoechogenicity | 20 (69.0) | 57 (42.5) | |
| Marked hypoechogenicity | 3 (10.3) | 6 (4.5) | |
| Homogeneity | 0.762 | ||
| Homogenous | 7 (24.1) | 36 (26.9) | |
| Heterogenous | 22 (75.9) | 98 (73.1) | |
| Calcification | 0.746 | ||
| Absent | 18 (62.1) | 95 (70.9) | |
| Microcalcification | 1 (3.4) | 3 (2.2) | |
| Disrupted rim calcification | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Other types of calcification | 10 (34.5) | 36 (26.9) | |
| Vascularity type | 0.429 | ||
| Type 0 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Type 1 | 2 (6.9) | 0 (-) | |
| Type 2 | 3 (10.3) | 1 (0.7) | |
| Type 3 | 4 (13.8) | 27 (20.1) | |
| Type 4 | 20 (69.0) | 106 (79.1) | |
| Risk stratification | <0.001 | ||
| Intermediate suspicion | 21 (72.4) | 45 (33.6) | |
| Low suspicion | 8 (27.6) | 89 (66.4) |