Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33030586›Full record

ArticlePediatric radiology2021

Utility of sonography for identifying metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation.

Maria Navallas, Alan Daneman, Afsaneh Amirabadi, Bo-Yee Ngan, Jonathan Wasserman

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric radiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Approach to the Pediatric Patient With Thyroid Nodules.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2025
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Maria NavallasDepartment of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Alan DanemanDepartment of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. alan.daneman@utoronto.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-7055-4354
Afsaneh AmirabadiDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Bo-Yee NganDivision of Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jonathan WassermanDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
University of Toronto · CAHospital for Sick Children · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNo study has evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of sonography for the depiction of metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation or determined which sonographic features are most useful.

objectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonography for identifying metastatic cervical adenopathy in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation and to determine the most useful sonographic features. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe evaluated cervical lymph node sonography and histology in children with proven thyroid carcinoma in a 10-year period. We excluded children in whom a preoperative sonogram was not available and those who did not have surgical resection of lymph nodes. We used histology as the gold standard. On sonography, we analyzed the size, shape, echotexture and vascularity of the lymph nodes and correlated these findings with the histology.

resultsWe reviewed sonograms and histology of resected lymph nodes in 52 children and adolescents with proven differentiated thyroid carcinoma (33 females; ages 5-18 years, mean 13.2 years). Metastatic cervical lymph node disease was proved on histology in 33/52 (64%) of our patients at presentation. Sonographic findings correctly predicted whether the nodes were histologically involved with metastatic disease in 42/52 (81%). Sensitivity of sonography was 79%, specificity 84%, positive predictive value (PPV) 90%, negative predictive value (NPV) 70% and accuracy 81%. A significant association was seen between round shape (P=0.0002), abnormal echotexture (P≤0.0001) and vascularity (P≤0.0001), and abnormal lymph node histology. Importantly, in 11/26 (47%) patients with sonographic and histologically proven abnormal nodes, the nodes were normal in size and shape and the presence of metastatic involvement was recognized sonographically only on the basis of abnormal echogenicity and vascularity.

conclusionSonography has a high accuracy, specificity and PPV for identifying metastatic cervical lymph node involvement in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma at presentation. Most of the abnormal lymph nodes were round in shape and had abnormal echogenicity and vascularity. Importantly, this paper emphasizes that in children, nodes with histologically proven metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma can be normal in size and shape. In these patients the presence of metastatic involvement might be recognized sonographically only on the basis of abnormal echogenicity and vascularity.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, PapillaryLymphadenopathyThyroid NeoplasmsAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisLymph NodesNeckSensitivity and SpecificityUltrasonographyAdolescentsChildrenDifferentiated thyroid carcinomaMetastatic cervical lymphadenopathyNeckThyroidUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID33030586
OpenAlexW3091992589

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.