ArticleThyroid research2025
The value of ultrasonographic scoring method and nomogram in assessing cervical lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Article in Thyroid research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe preoperative cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) status in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) critically determines the type of lymph node dissection performed. Currently, ultrasonography is the primary method for initial CLNM screening in PTC patients. This study aims to analyze the efficacy of an ultrasonic-characteristics-based scoring system in diagnosing lymph node metastasis in PTC and construct a predictive nomogram.
methodsThe imaging findings, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) results, and surgical pathology data from 269 suspected CLNM cases at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, spanning from July 2021 to October 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. We identified specific ultrasound characteristics and assigned scores based on our clinical experience. The diagnostic performance of the ultrasound scoring system was assessed by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Additionally, a nomogram was developed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-logistic regression. The nomogram's discrimination was evaluated using ROC analysis, its accuracy was assessed with calibration curves, and its clinical utility was determined by decision curve analysis (DCA).
resultsIn this study, factors such as age, sex, lymph node length, thickness, aspect ratio, shape, hilum status, echogenicity, microcalcification, cystic necrosis, blood flow pattern, and the ultrasonic score were included in the analysis. The ultrasound score had the highest (AUC = 0.914, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.880-0.950), with an optimal cutoff value of 2.5. A score of 3 or higher had a diagnostic sensitivity for CLNM of 81.1%, specificity of 85.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 83.1%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 83.4%, and Kappa value of 0.664. Subsequent LASSO regression analysis identified sex, hyperechogenicity, peripheral disordered blood flow, and the ultrasonic score as independent predictors of CLNM, which were incorporated into a logistic regression-based predictive nomogram. The model exhibited strong discriminatory performance in both the training set (AUC = 0.933, 95% CI: 0.820-0.910) and the test set (AUC = 0.958, 95% CI: 0.790-0.890) for distinguishing PTC with and without CLNM. Furthermore, calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed the model's good fit and favorable clinical net benefit.
conclusionThe ultrasonic scoring method and the Nomogram have significant clinical utility in the preoperative assessment of CLNM in PTC, reducing unnecessary FNA procedures, and are simple and practical for clinical application. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.