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Calcifications are more common in thyroid carcinomas than in benign thyroid nodules
The background of the study. Ultrasonography is
the best test to identify thyroid nodules, but its ability to differentiate
carcinomas from benign nodules is limited. Certain sonographic findings
may be more common among thyroid carcinomas than benign nodules,
for example, hypoechogenicity and microcalcifications. This study
was done to determine the frequency of microcalcifications and other
types of calcifications in benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
How the study was done. The study subjects were 159 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent thyroid ultrasonography and then surgery. The patients’ records were reviewed, and their sonograms were reevaluated. Calcifications were categorized as microcalcifications if they were punctate foci of echoes, and as macrocalcifications if there were large or coarse foci of echoes or the nodule wall was calcified.
The results of the study. Sixty-six of the patients had a thyroid carcinoma. Among the remaining 93 patients, the nodule was a hyperplastic nodule in 39, a follicular adenoma in 32, lymphocytic thyroiditis in 18, and normal thyroid in 4.
Calcifications were seen in 52 of the 66 carcinomas (79 percent), as compared with 36 of the 93 benign nodules (39 percent). Among the 88 calcified nodules, microcalcifications were seen in 63, of which 39 (62 percent) were carcinomas and 24 (38 percent) were benign nodules (Table). There were macrocalcifications in 19 nodules, and both microcalcifications and macrocalcifications in 6.
| Table. Types of Calcification in Thyroid Carcinomas and Benign Nodules. | |||
Microcalcifications |
Macrocalcifications |
Both |
|
| Carcinoma | 39 (62%) |
9 (47%) |
4 (67%) |
| Benign nodule | 24 (38%) |
10 (53%) |
2 (33%) |
The conclusions of the study. Calcifications, especially microcalcificatons, are more common in thyroid carcinomas than in benign thyroid nodules.
The original article. Seiberling KA, Dutra JC,
Grant T, Bajramovic S. Role of intrathyroidal calcifications detected
on ultrasound as a marker of malignancy. Laryngoscope 2004;114:1753-7.
Next Article: Fine-needle aspiration
biopsy is of limited value for detection of carcinoma in patients
with a multinodular goiter |
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| Thyroid Digest Index | | | March 2005 Thyroid Digest |
