Associations of the BRAF(V600E) Mutation with Sonographic Features and Clinicopathologic Characteristics in a Large Population with Conventional Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

作者：Park Ah Young; Son Eun Ju^*; Kim Jeong Ah; Youk Ji Hyun; Park Yun Joo; Park Cheong Soo; Chang Hang Seok

来源：PLos One, 2014, 9(10): e110868.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0110868

Objective: To evaluate the association of the BRAF(V600E) mutation with sonographic features and clinicopathologic characteristics in a large population with conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the sonographic features, clinicopathologic characteristics, and presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation in 688 patients who underwent thyroidectomy for conventional PTC between January and July 2010 at a single institution. The incidence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was calculated. The sonographic features and clinicopathologic characteristics were compared between BRAF-positive and BRAF-negative patients. BRAF-positive patients were subdivided into those with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (the PTMC group) and those with PTC larger than 10 mm (the PTC>10 mm group), and their sonographic features were compared.
Results: The BRAF(V600E) mutation was detected in 69.2% of patients (476 of 688). Sonographic features were not significantly different between BRAF-positive and BRAF-negative PTC, nor between PTMC and PTC>10 mm groups. The BRAF(V600E) mutation was associated with male sex (P = 0.028), large tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, central and lateral lymph node metastasis, and advanced tumor stage (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: The BRAF(V600E) mutation was significantly associated with several poor clinicopathologic characteristics, but was not associated with sonographic features, regardless of tumor size. We recommend that patients with a thyroid nodule with any suspicious sonographic feature undergo preoperative BRAF(V600E) testing for risk stratification and to guide the initial surgical approach in PTC.

• 出版日期2014-10-22