Ultrasonographic Features of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Patients with Graves' Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS To characterize ultrasonographic findings in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) combined with Graves' disease. METHODS Medical records and ultrasonographic findings of 1,013 patients with Graves' disease and 3,380 patients without Graves' disease were analyzed retrospectively. A diagnosis of PTC was based on a pathologic examination. RESULTS The frequency of hypoechogenicity was lower in patients with PTC and Graves' disease than in patients with PTC alone (p < 0.05). The frequency of perinodular blood flow in patients with PTC and Graves' disease was significantly higher than in those with PTC alone (p < 0.05). PTC combined with Graves' disease was characterized by more ill-defined borders and less frequency of overall calcification, punctate calcification, and heterogeneous echogenicity, although the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that patients with Graves' disease more frequently have atypical PTC findings on ultrasonography.