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Utility of sonography for identifying metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation

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Abstract

Background

No study has evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of sonography for the depiction of metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation or determined which sonographic features are most useful.

Objective

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonography for identifying metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation and to determine the most useful sonographic features.

Materials and methods

We evaluated cervical lymph node sonography and histology in children with proven thyroid carcinoma in a 10-year period. We excluded children in whom a preoperative sonogram was not available and those who did not have surgical resection of lymph nodes. We used histology as the gold standard. On sonography, we analyzed the size, shape, echotexture and vascularity of the lymph nodes and correlated these findings with the histology.

Results

We reviewed sonograms and histology of resected lymph nodes in 52 children and adolescents with proven differentiated thyroid carcinoma (33 females; ages 5–18 years, mean 13.2 years). Metastatic cervical lymph node disease was proved on histology in 33/52 (64%) of our patients at presentation. Sonographic findings correctly predicted whether the nodes were histologically involved with metastatic disease in 42/52 (81%). Sensitivity of sonography was 79%, specificity 84%, positive predictive value (PPV) 90%, negative predictive value (NPV) 70% and accuracy 81%. A significant association was seen between round shape (P=0.0002), abnormal echotexture (P≤0.0001) and vascularity (P≤0.0001), and abnormal lymph node histology. Importantly, in 11/26 (47%) patients with sonographic and histologically proven abnormal nodes, the nodes were normal in size and shape and the presence of metastatic involvement was recognized sonographically only on the basis of abnormal echogenicity and vascularity.

Conclusion

Sonography has a high accuracy, specificity and PPV for identifying metastatic cervical lymph node involvement in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation. Most of the abnormal lymph nodes were round in shape and had abnormal echogenicity and vascularity. Importantly, this paper emphasizes that in children, nodes with histologically proven metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma can be normal in size and shape. In these patients the presence of metastatic involvement might be recognized sonographically only on the basis of abnormal echogenicity and vascularity.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of Ontasian Imaging Lab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Maria Navallas & Alan Daneman

  2. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Maria Navallas, Alan Daneman & Afsaneh Amirabadi

  3. Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Bo-Yee Ngan

  4. Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jonathan Wasserman

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jonathan Wasserman

Authors
  1. Maria Navallas
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  2. Alan Daneman
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  3. Afsaneh Amirabadi
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  4. Bo-Yee Ngan
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  5. Jonathan Wasserman
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Correspondence to Alan Daneman.

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Navallas, M., Daneman, A., Amirabadi, A. et al. Utility of sonography for identifying metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation. Pediatr Radiol 51, 273–281 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04804-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04804-z

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