Clinical Analysis of BRAF V600E Mutation and Its Correlation With Sonographic Image Characteristics in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Chinese Coastal Areas

• Published in: The American surgeon 2020-05, Vol.86 (5), p.450-457
• Main Authors: Dong, Si-Yang, Chen, Jie, Xia, Er-Jie, Lin, Ri-Xu, Du, Hai-Yan, Wang, Ou-Chen, Zhang, Xiao-Hua, Hao, Ru-Tian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0003-1348; 1555-9823
• DOI: 10.1177/0003134820919734

This study analyzed the characteristics of BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in Chinese coastal areas. We intended to identify noninvasive methods to determine BRAF V600E status in thyroid nodules prior to surgery. BRAF V600E 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 V600E mutation and the clinicopathological and sonographic imaging characteristics of PTC. The mutation rate of the BRAF V600E was 78.2%. BRAF V600E mutation was significantly associated with central node (univariate analyses, P = .005; multivariate analyses, P < .001, odds ratio [OR] = 10.255) and lateral node metastases (univariate analyses, P = .001; multivariate analyses, P < .001, OR = 22). It was less frequent in PTC coexisting with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (univariate analyses, P = .016; multivariate analyses, P < .001, OR = .034). Nodules without blood flow had a significantly higher mutation rate of BRAF V600E in PTC patients (univariate analyses, P = .026). BRAF V600E mutation was significantly associated with high suspicion in the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System 5 (univariate analyses, P = .004; multivariate analyses, P = .014, OR = 6.456). Our results strongly suggest that BRAF V600E 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 V600E preoperatively.