Thyroid follicular carcinoma: sonographic features of 50 cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate sonography of thyroid follicular neoplasms for features that would aid in distinguishing follicular carcinoma from follicular adenoma and for any imaging features that distinguish the Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma from classic follicular carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study cohort consisted of patients with the diagnosis of follicular carcinoma and patients with the diagnosis of follicular adenoma. Fifty patients (25 men and 25 women; median age, 59.5 years) with a diagnosis of follicular carcinoma (27 with classic follicular carcinoma, 22 with Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma, and one insular variant) in a 6-year period were included. Fifty-two control patients (10 men and 42 women; median age, 46.5 years) were selected from a random sampling of all cases of follicular adenoma during the same time period. Sonograms were reviewed in consensus by four radiologists for various features. All study patients and control patients underwent surgical resection and pathologic analysis of their thyroid follicular neoplasm. The chi-square or Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables; the Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used for continuous variables. RESULTS: Hypoechoic appearance (82% of follicular carcinoma patients vs 50% of follicular adenoma patients; p<0.005; odds ratio [OR]), 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7), absence of halo (64% of follicular carcinoma patients vs 42% of follicular adenoma patients; p<0.05; OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9), absence of cystic change (90% of follicular carcinoma patients vs 69% of follicular adenoma patients; p<0.05; OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7), greater patient age (median age of 59.5 years for follicular carcinoma patients vs 46.5 years for follicular adenoma patients; p<0.05), size of the tumor (median size of 11.75 mL for follicular carcinoma patients vs 5.95 mL for follicular adenoma patients; p<0.05), and male sex (50% of follicular carcinoma patients vs 19.2% of follicular adenoma patients; p<0.005; OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.6-8.9) were more frequently associated with follicular thyroid cancer than with benign adenoma. No significant difference in the prevalence of refractive shadowing, echotexture, visible invasion, lymph node enlargement, adjacent nonfollicular suspicious lesions, vascularity subtype, and calcifications was observed between the two groups. Within the follicular carcinoma subgroup, homogeneous or predominantly homogeneous echotexture (67% of classic follicular carcinoma patients vs 36% of Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma patients; p<0.05; OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1-11.4) and the presence of calcifications (22% of classic follicular carcinoma patients vs 4% of Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma patients [multivariate analysis including age]; p < 0.05; OR, 22.9; 95% CI, 2.0-261.9) were associated with classic follicular carcinoma. Greater patient age (median age of 53 years for classic follicular carcinoma patients vs 64.5 years for Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma patients; p<0.05) was associated with Hürthle-cell variant follicular carcinoma. There was no association between tumor volume, sex, sonographic halo, refractive shadowing, echogenicity, visible invasion, lymph node enlargement, adjacent nonfollicular suspicious lesions, vascularity subtype, and cystic change between the subgroups of follicular carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The sonographic features of follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma are very similar, but larger lesion size, lack of a sonographic halo, hypoechoic appearance, and absence of cystic change favored a follicular carcinoma diagnosis. Increased patient age and male sex are associated with malignancy. Within the follicular carcinoma subgroup, Hürthle-cell variant of follicular carcinoma is more often seen in older patients with nodules having a heterogeneous appearance and lacking internal calcifications.

Ultrafast dynamic computed tomography myelography for the precise identification of high-flow cerebrospinal fluid leaks caused by spiculated spinal osteophytes.

OBJECT: Precise localization and understanding of the origin of spontaneous high-flow spinal CSF leaks is required prior to targeted treatment. This study demonstrates the utility of ultrafast dynamic CT myelography for the precise localization of high-flow CSF leaks caused by spiculated spinal osteophytes. METHODS: This study reports a series of 14 patients with high-flow CSF leaks caused by spiculated spinal osteophytes who underwent ultrafast dynamic CT myelography between March 2009 and December 2010. There were 10 male and 4 female patients, with an average age of 49 years (range 37-74 years). The value of ultrafast dynamic CT myelography in depicting the CSF leak site was qualitatively assessed. RESULTS: In all 14 patients, ultrafast dynamic CT myelography was technically successful at precisely demonstrating the site of the CSF leak, the causative spiculated osteophyte piercing the dura, and the relationship of the implicated osteophyte to adjacent structures. Leak sites included 3 cervical, 11 thoracic, and 0 lumbar levels, with 86% of the leaks occurring from C-5 to T-7. Information obtained from the ultrafast dynamic CT myelogram was considered useful in all treated CSF leaks. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal osteophytes piercing the dura are a more frequent cause of high-flow CSF leaks than previously recognized. Ultrafast dynamic CT myelography adds value beyond standard dynamic myelography or digital subtraction myelography in the diagnosis and anatomical characterization of high-flow spinal CSF leaks caused by these osteophytes. This information allows for appropriate planning for percutaneous or surgical treatment.