关键词: 甲状腺乳头状癌, 超声造影, 淋巴结转移

Abstract: Objective To evaluate the correlation between the characteristics of ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Method A retrospective analysis was conducted on the patients who underwent surgery in the PLA General Hospital in 2018 due to suspicious single thyroid nodule. Routine two-dimensional ultrasound examination and CEUS examination were performed before surgery. Patients' age, gender, conventional ultrasound and CEUS characteristics of the lesions were recorded. The gold standard was based on the surgical pathological result. PTC nodules were divided into two groups according to the lymph node metastases (LNM) or not. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the differences between ultrasonographic, CEUS characteristics and lymph node metastasis. Result A total of 293 nodules were enrolled in this study, which includes 134 nodules with LNM while 159 nodules without LNM. Univariate analyses shows statistically significant differences about patients' ages, gender, the maximum diameter of PTC nodule, echogenicity of the nodule, taller than wide, Color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI), capsule extension on ultrasound, ultrasound scanning suspicious LNM, enhancement pattern, homogeneity, wash-out speed, capsule extension on CEUS between the two groups. Logistic regression revealed that risk factors of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) included young patients (P=0.008), male gender (P<0.001), large PTC nodule (P=0.017),rich blood flow in CDFI (P=0.034)and capsule extension on CEUS (P=0.033). Conclusion Some characteristics of ultrasound and CEUS are correlated with LNM of PTC, which may play a role in the prediction of LNM of PTC.

Key words: papillary thyroid carcinoma, contrast enhanced ultrasound, lymph node metastasis