Thyroid Nodule Sphericity Metrics Discriminate Benign and Malignant Follicular and Oncocytic Neoplasms
Authors' conclusion
TTW shape has limited utility in distinguishing benign follicular and oncocytic neoplasms from malignancy. This sonographic feature was more common among all benign and malignant neoplasms when they were compared as a group to non-neoplastic nodules, which suggests this sonographic feature is an indicator of neoplastic growth (benign or malignant) but not cancer.
Study context
- Population
- Surgically resected thyroid nodules (benign and malignant follicular and oncocytic neoplasms, non-neoplastic nodules, classic papillary thyroid cancers (PTC)) at two academic health systemsnodules analyzed
- Participants
- 1,110 participants
- Exposure
- Taller-than-wide (TTW) feature and sphericity metrics in benign vs malignant thyroid nodules
- Non-neoplasticn = 209
- Benign neoplasmsn = 398reference
- Malignant neoplasmsn = 503
- Outcome
- Proportion of taller-than-wide (TTW) nodules in benign vs malignant nodules
Methodological detailstwo academic health systems
- Two academic health systems
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
TTW feature
Sensitivity of TTW
28%
confidence interval 23–24%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| TTW feature, neoplasms vs non-neoplastic nodulesNeoplasms more likely TTW | χ2, p = 0.02 |
Sphericity index and sphericity ratio
- Significantly different in most comparisons of benign and malignant nodules, except oncocytic tumors (Wilcoxon)
- P < 0.03
Original publication
Thyroid Nodule Sphericity Metrics Discriminate Benign and Malignant Follicular and Oncocytic Neoplasms. Thyroid. Published 25 February 2025. doi:10.
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