Affiliations: [a] Department of Ultrasound, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China | [b] Department of Pathology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Hui Zhang, Department of Ultrasound, Peking University First Hospital, The Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China. Tel.: +86 10 8357 5468; Fax: +86 10 8357 5468; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasound in thyroid Hürthle cell tumors. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 27 patients with thyroid Hürthle cell tumors, in terms of the size, shape, boundary, echo, aspect ratio, cystic degeneration, calcification, peripheral halo sign and blood supply of the tumor, through surgical pathological validation. Then, these were compared with postoperative pathological results. RESULTS: The maximum diameter of the thyroid Hürthle cell tumors is between 0.6 cm and 4.6 cm. It had an oval nodule with clear boundaries, an aspect ratio > 1, and peripheral low-echo halos. Furthermore, 29.6% of tumors have even low-echo nodules without cystic changes, 48.1% and 22.1% have even medium or medium-low mixed echo nodules, and 44.4% have cystic changes in varying degrees. One nodule appeared with “micro-calcification”, but pathological results confirmed that it was local collagen. Color Doppler blood flow imaging revealed that 88.8% of the nodules were surrounded with blood flow, filled with rich blood inside, and only 12.2% of the nodules had a little blood inside. CONCLUSION: Thyroid Hürthle cell tumors have nodules with even or uneven echoes on the background of the normal echoes of the thyroid, with an aspect ratio of > 1, clear boundaries and peripheral acoustic halos. Cystic changes, colloid crystallization and fibrosis can be seen inside in varying degrees. Ultrasonography has no significant value for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant Hürthle cell tumors.
