Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the clinical value of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB), computed tomography (CT) and BRAFV600E combination for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) diagnosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 300 patients with thyroid nodules were assigned to the PTC group (n = 184) and the nodular goiter (NG) group (n = 116). The positive detection rates of US-FNAB, CT and BRAFV600E gene mutation and their relationship with tumor number, tumor diameter, lymphatic metastasis, capsule invasion and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging were analyzed, with their diagnostic value for PTC analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The area under multiple ROC curves (AUCs) were compared using MEDCALC software. RESULTS: The positive detection rates of US-FNAB, CT and BRAFV600E gene mutation were 78.80%, 72.28% and 83.15% in the PTC group, and 30.17%, 27.59% and 9.48% in the NG group, while the negative detection rates were 21.20%, 27.72% and 16.85% in the PTC group, and 69.82%, 72.41% and 90.52% in the NG group. Positive US-FNAB and BRAFV600E gene mutation in PTC patients related to TNM staging. Positive CT and BRAFV600E gene mutation linked to lymphatic metastasis. US-FNAB (AUC: 0.743, sensitivity: 78.80%, specificity: 69.83%), CT (AUC: 0.723, sensitivity: 77.28%, specificity: 72.41%) and BRAFV600E (AUC: 0.868, sensitivity: 83.15%, specificity: 90.52%) gene detections helped PTC diagnosis, with their combined diagnostic value (AUC: 0.938, sensitivity: 78.26%, specificity: 96.55%) surpassing that of them alone. CONCLUSION: US-FNAB, CT and BRAFV600E gene tests helped PTC diagnosis, and their combined detection had higher diagnostic value for PTC than their single detection.