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Author Spotlight: Integrating Ultrasound Imaging with Biochemical Markers for Thyroid Disease Diagnosis
Published on: February 9, 2024
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Serum thyroglobulin adds no additional value to ultrasonographic features in a thyroid malignancy
Inyoung Youn1, Ji Min Sung, Eun-Kyung Kim
1*Department of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea; †Graduate School of Health and Welfare, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea; and ‡Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Ultrasound Quarterly
|November 22, 2014
Summary
Preoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels do not aid in diagnosing thyroid nodules. Suspicious ultrasound features are the primary indicators for identifying malignant thyroid nodules.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Thyroid nodules are common, and accurate diagnosis is crucial.
- Preoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is sometimes considered as a diagnostic marker.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the adjunctive role of preoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) in diagnosing thyroid nodules.
- To identify independent predictors of malignancy in thyroid nodules.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 374 thyroid nodules in 360 patients.
- Evaluation of clinicopathologic characteristics, ultrasonographic (US) features, and presurgical serum Tg levels.
- Univariate and multivariate analyses to determine malignancy predictors.
Main Results:
- Serum Tg levels positively correlated with nodule size and thyroid volume (P < 0.001).
- No significant difference in serum Tg levels between malignant and benign nodules was observed.
- Suspicious US features were the sole independent predictors of malignancy (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Preoperative serum Tg is not useful for differentiating thyroid cancer from benign nodules.
- Suspicious ultrasonographic features are the only reliable predictors of malignancy in thyroid nodules.
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