Abstract
There has been an increase in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules in recent years.
In addition to the well-known criteria, features that are likely to increase the
risk of malignancy are in the research process. In this study, we aimed to
evaluate the malignant potential of nodules that expand the thyroid capsule
ultrasonographically. A total of 109 patients with thyroid capsule-expanding
nodules and 288 patients with non-expanding nodules were included in the study.
Demographical data, ultrasonography features, and cytology results were noted,
and histopathological findings were determined in operated patients. While
malignant cytology was detected in 5.5% of capsule-expanding nodules in FNAB
results, this rate was 0.7% in the non-capsule expanding group (p<0.001).
According to the histopathological results, the incidence of malignancy was
15.6% in the capsule-expanding nodule group, while it was 3.1% in the other
group (p=0.001). As a result of logistic regression analysis, it was determined
that the risk of malignancy increased by 4.44-fold (95% CI 1.4–13.8, p=0.01) in
patients with capsule-expanding nodules. Other features that increased the risk
of malignancy were hypoechogenicity, microcalcification, and irregular margin
presence. In this study, we found that the risk of malignancy increased in
nodules expanding the thyroid capsule. Based on the increasing study data on
this subject, monitoring thyroid capsule expansion in nodules may take its place
among the criteria for malignancy in future evaluations.
Keywords
thyroid carcinoma - capsule expansion - thyroid ultrasonography - malignancy risk
