Table 1.
Clinicopathological Characteristics of Study Subjects
| Clinical Characteristics | Total (n=391) | SLNM Group (n=44) | MLNM Group (n=347) | p valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (9~77 years) | 36.92±12.88 | 41.56±12.39 | 36.22±12.56 | 0.008b |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 124(31.7%) | 17(38.6%) | 107(30.8%) | 0.295 |
| Female | 267(68.3%) | 27(61.4%) | 240(69.2%) | |
| Number of tumors | ||||
| Solitary | 246(62.9%) | 33(75%) | 213(61.4%) | 0.078 |
| Multifocality | 145(37.1%) | 11(25%) | 134(38.6%) | |
| Tumor size (0.1~9.7 cm) | 2.14±1.31 | 2.08±1.48 | 2.23±1.29 | 0.461b |
| >1cm | 326(83.4%) | 32(72.3%) | 294(84.7%) | 0.044 |
| ≤1cm | 65(16.6%) | 12(27.3%) | 53(15.3%) | |
| Capsular invasion | ||||
| Present | 129(33%) | 12(27.3%) | 117(33.7%) | 0.392 |
| Absent | 262(67%) | 32(72.3%) | 230(66.3%) | |
| Extrathyroidal extension | ||||
| Present | 115(29.4%) | 15(34.1%) | 100(28.8%) | 0.470 |
| Absent | 276(70.6%) | 29(65.9%) | 247(71.2%) | |
| Lymphocytic thyroiditis | ||||
| Present | 146(37.3%) | 15(34.1%) | 131(37.8%) | 0.636 |
| Absent | 245(62.7%) | 29(65.9%) | 216(62.2%) | |
| TSH level | ||||
| High | 59(15.1%) | 6(13.6%) | 53(15.3%) | 0.658 |
| Normal | 322(82.4%) | 36(81.8%) | 286(82.4%) | |
| Low | 10(2.5%) | 2(4.6%) | 8(2.3%) | |
| Number of CLNM | 2.37±2.27 | 1.64±2.27 | 3.84±4.64 | 0.000b |
| CLNM | ||||
| Present | 327(83.6%) | 25(56.8%) | 302(87.0%) | 0.000 |
| Absent | 64(16.4%) | 19(43.2%) | 45(13.0%) |
Notes: aPearson’s chi-squared test was adopted; bThe Student’s t‐test was adopted.
Abbreviations: SLNM, solitary lateral neck node metastasis; MLNM, multiple lateral neck node metastasis; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone; CLNM, central lymph node metastasis.