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Characteristic sonographic features of cribriform papillary thyroid carcinoma for differentiation from other thyroid nodules

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the sonographic features and differential diagnoses of the cribriform variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (CV-PTC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 24 nodules obtained from 22 CV-PTC cases. As control groups, we chose 50 cases each of conventional papillary carcinoma (C-PTC), follicular tumor, and nodular goiter.

Results

All of the cases were young women aged 35 years or younger. Serum thyroglobulin levels were normal or slightly elevated. The incidences of smooth or focal jagged margin, hypoechoic nodule, lateral shadow, posterior acoustic enhancement, poor marginal and internal vascularity, and no microcalcification were 100, 100, 91.7, 95.8, 100, and 95.8 %, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the requirement were 87.5 and 92.5 %, respectively. Sonographic findings of CV-PTC were similar to those of follicular tumor or nodular goiter rather than C-PTC.

Conclusion

The criteria for suspecting CV-PTC we proposed provided high sensitivity and specificity. We should be aware that the sonographic findings of CV-PTC are similar to those of follicular tumor or nodular goiter rather than C-PTC. Clinical findings including gender, age, and serum thyroglobulin level may provide us with useful information.

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Conflict of interest

Tomoko Fujimoto, Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa, Hisashi Ota, Tomonori Yabuta, Mitsuhiro Fukushima, Kaoru Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Amino, and Akira Miyauchi declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human rights

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kuma Hospital, 8-2-35 Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0011, Japan

    Tomoko Fujimoto & Hisashi Ota

  2. Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

    Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa

  3. Department of Surgery, Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

    Tomonori Yabuta, Mitsuhiro Fukushima, Kaoru Kobayashi & Akira Miyauchi

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

    Nobuyuki Amino

Authors
  1. Tomoko Fujimoto
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  2. Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa
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  3. Hisashi Ota
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  4. Tomonori Yabuta
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  5. Mitsuhiro Fukushima
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  6. Kaoru Kobayashi
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  7. Nobuyuki Amino
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  8. Akira Miyauchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomoko Fujimoto.

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Fujimoto, T., Hirokawa, M., Ota, H. et al. Characteristic sonographic features of cribriform papillary thyroid carcinoma for differentiation from other thyroid nodules. J Med Ultrasonics 42, 83–87 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-014-0555-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-014-0555-7

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