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Sonographic Features of Benign Thyroid Nodules
Author(s) -
Wienke Jeffrey R.,
Chong Wui K.,
Fielding Julia R.,
Zou Kelly H.,
Mittelstaedt Carol A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2003.22.10.1027
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid nodules , kappa , malignancy , radiology , nodule (geology) , vascularity , thyroid , cohen's kappa , nuclear medicine , pathology , paleontology , philosophy , linguistics , machine learning , computer science , biology
Objective . To prospectively determine the sonographic findings of nodular hyperplasia of the thyroid, to compare these with reported findings associated with malignancy, and to assess interobserver reliability. Methods . Seventy thyroid nodules were scanned, and then biopsies of the nodules were performed under sonographic guidance with fine‐needle cytologic analysis; in all cases images were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists without knowledge of clinical outcome. Findings reported associated with malignancy were specifically assessed. Interobserver agreement between the expert and secondary readers for each finding was calculated by the κ or weighted κ statistic and the Fisher exact test of independence. Results . There were 68 benign and 2 malignant nodules in a population of 63 female and 7 male patients. The mean benign nodule size was 2.9 cm; 60% were solid; 54% were hypoechoic; 59% were microlobulated or macrolobulated; 47% had central vascularity; 24% contained calcifications; and 82% were elliptical in shape. There was very good interobserver reliability for the presence of calcium (κ = 0.91) and good agreement for the presence and location of vascularity (κ = 0.75) and the amount of cystic components (κ = 0.62; all P < .01). Conclusions . Sixty‐nine percent of benign nodules had at least 1 finding reported previously as associated with malignancy. The interobserver reliability of the sonographic findings was good to very good for 3 of the 5 findings assessed.