Clinicopathological characteristics including BRAF V600E mutation status and PET/CT findings in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: We assessed the associations between FDG uptake in primary papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) and clinicopathological features, including the BRAF V600E mutation, using quantitative and qualitative analyses of preoperative PET/CT data. Design and Patients: This was a retrospective review of 106 patients with PTC who underwent PET/CT scans between February 2009 and January 2011 before undergoing total thyroidectomy. Data collected from surgical specimens were compared with FDG uptake in the primary tumour using quantitative and qualitative analyses of preoperative PET/CT data. Clinicopathological data included the primary tumour size, subtype, capsular invasion, extrathyroid extension, multifocality, BRAF V600E mutation status, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. Results: The SUVmax of the primary tumour was significantly higher in patients with a primary tumour >1 cm, extrathyroid extension or the BRAF V600E mutation than in patients without these features (P