FIGURE 1.
Initial and final cyst volume, initial and final largest cyst diameter, and relative and absolute change in cyst volume
| Group | A | B | C | p (A:B:C) | p (A:B) | p (A:C) | p (B:C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cyst volume [mL] | 20.1 ± 13.8 (2.3-51.1) | 15.0 ± 17.8 (1.3-83.0) | 4.2 ± 4.5 (0,8-19,2) | < 0.001 | – | – | – |
| Initial largest cyst diameter [mm] | 41.6 ± 11.4 (23-62) | 34.4 ± 12.8 (18-65) | 23.4 ± 6.6 (15-47) | < 0.001 | – | – | – |
| Final cyst volume [mL] | 7.6 ± 12.1 (3.6-11.7) | 6.1 ± 10.4 (2.8-9.4) | 5.3 ± 7.9 (2.2-8.3) | 0.764 | – | – | – |
| Final largest cyst diameter [mm] | 24.5 ± 15.4 (5-56) | 21.5 ± 14.3 (4-65) | 23.2 ± 11.6 (0-55) | 0.491 | – | – | – |
| Average relative cyst volume difference [%] | a-63.5 ± 45.5 (-78.9 to -48.2) | -48.2 ± 81.0 (-73.8 to -22.6) | 8.1 ± 63.6 (-16.6 to 32.8) | < 0.001 | 0.318 | < 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Average nominal cyst volume difference [mL] | a12.5 ± 14.7 (7.5-17.4) | b8.83 ± 15.6 (3.9-13.7) | c-1.0 ± 4.0 (-2.5 to 0.52) | < 0.001 | – | – | – |
Demographic characteristics of the patients and laboratory parameters at the first examination
| Group | A (N = 36) | B (N = 41) | C (N = 28) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age [years] | 46.5 ± 15.8 | 51.2 ± 17.4 | 65.8 ± 13.7 | < 0.001 |
| Sex [F/M; % female] | 20/16 (56%) | 28/13 (68%) | 21/7 (75%) | 0.33 |
| TSH [mIU/L] | 1.59 ± 1.0 | 1.61 ± 0.9 | 2.46 ± 2.5 | 0.43 |
| fT4 [pmol/L] | 15.14 ± 1.9 | 15.22 ± 2.2 | 14.44 ± 2.9 | 0.33 |
| fT3 [pmol/L] | 5.06 ± 0.6 | 5.24 ± 0.4 | 4.97 ± 0.5 | 0.04 |
| Positive antiTg antibodies [%] | 17.2 | 5.6 | 12.0 | 0.07 |
| Positive antiTPO antibodies [%] | 12.5 | 2.8 | 8.0 | 0.32 |
| Tg [μg/L] | 61.55 ± 127.4 | 493.92 ± 2020.0 | 26.13 ± 25.15 | 0.30 |
Percentage and absolute number of cysts with a clinically significant change in size according to the criteria of the European Thyroid Association (at least 50% increase or decrease in cyst volume or at least 20% increase or decrease in at least two cyst dimensions)_4
| Group | A | B | C | p (A:B:C) | p (A:B) | p (A:C) | p (B:C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Significant decrease of cyst volume (%, absolute number) | 75.0 (27/36) | 68.3 (28/41) | 25.0 (7/28) | < 0.001 | 0.616 | < 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Significant increase of cyst volume (%, absolute number) | 2.8 (1/36) | 7.3 (3/41) | 39.2 (11/28) | < 0.001 | – | – | – |
| No significant change in cyst volume (%, absolute number) | 22.2 (8/36) | 24.3 (10/41) | 35.7 (10/28) | – | – | – | – |