Clinical Analysis of BRAF Mutation and Its Correlation With Sonographic Image Characteristics in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Chinese Coastal Areas.

This study analyzed the characteristics of BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in Chinese coastal areas. We intended to identify noninvasive methods to determine BRAF status in thyroid nodules prior to surgery. BRAF mutation and the sonographic characteristics of thyroid nodules were investigated in 670 PTC patients in our hospital. We aimed to determine the relationship between BRAF mutation and the clinicopathological and sonographic imaging characteristics of PTC. The mutation rate of the BRAF was 78.2%. BRAF mutation was significantly associated with central node (univariate analyses, = .005; multivariate analyses, < .001, odds ratio [OR] = 10.255) and lateral node metastases (univariate analyses, = .001; multivariate analyses, < .001, OR = 22). It was less frequent in PTC coexisting with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (univariate analyses, = .016; multivariate analyses, < .001, OR = .034). Nodules without blood flow had a significantly higher mutation rate of BRAF in PTC patients (univariate analyses, = .026). BRAF mutation was significantly associated with high suspicion in the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System 5 (univariate analyses, = .004; multivariate analyses, = .014, OR = 6.456). Our results strongly suggest that BRAF mutation plays a potential role in lymph node metastasis (central node metastasis, OR = 10.225; lateral node metastasis, OR = 22). Some sonographic imaging features might be helpful in estimating the status of BRAF preoperatively.