Gemstone Spectral CT Virtual Noncontrast Images and Iodine Maps for the Characterization of Thyroid Lesions and Distinguishing Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma from Nodular Goiter

Table 1

Patient characteristics and radiation dose.

Variable	Total number of lesions (n = 66)	Nodular goiter (n = 24)	Papillary carcinoma (n = 42)	value
Patient age (y)	47.18 ± 15.17	55.96 ± 10.50	42.17 ± 15.23	<0.001^a
Male (y)	42.44 ± 18.83	58.57 ± 10.83	29.89 ± 13.11	<0.001^a
Female (y)	48.70 ± 13.67	54.88 ± 10.51	45.52 ± 14.15	0.020^a
Sex
Male	11 (16.67%)	3 (12.50%)	8 (19.05%)	0.731^b
Female	55 (83.33%)	21 (87.50%)	34 (80.95%)
Transverse diameter (cm)
TNC	2.62 ± 1.58	3.29 ± 1.80	2.24 ± 1.32	0.009^a
VNC	2.66 ± 1.55	3.32 ± 1.68	2.28 ± 1.35	0.008^a
Anterior-posterior diameter (cm)
TNC	2.06 ± 1.30	2.72 ± 1.52	1.68 ± 0.98	0.005^a
VNC	2.08 ± 1.26	2.77 ± 1.47	1.69 ± 0.92	0.003^a
CTDIvol (mGy)
TNC	15.51 ± 2.19	15.21 ± 2.42	15.68 ± 2.06	0.405^a
Routine arterial phase	21.76 ± 2.28	21.59 ± 2.82	21.86 ± 1.94	0.685^a
GSI venous phase	10.30 ± 0.00	10.30 ± 0.00	10.30 ± 0.00	0.999^a
DLP (mGy.cm)
TNC	403.81 ± 86.19	390.14 ± 86.38	411.63 ± 86.14	0.334^a
Routine arterial phase	569.74 ± 71.81	556.97 ± 83.81	577.04 ± 63.90	0.316^a
GSI venous phase	267.50 ± 32.19	269.78 ± 31.99	266.20 ± 32.62	0.667^a
Thyroid lesions				0.030^b
Unilateral	44 (66.67%)	12 (50.00%)	32 (76.19%)
Bilateral	22 (33.33%)	12 (50.00%)	10 (23.81%)

Note. The results are the measurements with a corresponding ratio in the parentheses, and the remainder of the results is mean ± standard deviation. : student’s t-test and : chi-squared test. TNC: true noncontrast, VNC: virtual noncontrast, CTDIvol: volume CT dose index, and DLP: dose-length product.