甲状腺木乃伊结节的病理基础及超声研究进展
仲艳密 吴琼 初旭 宁春平 赵诚
[摘要] 甲状腺木乃伊结节(MNs)高频声像图酷似恶性结节,极易误诊。本文在总结MNs发生机制和演变过程的基础上,着重对其声像图特征及相关研究进展予以综述,以期帮助超声医师正确诊断。
[关键词] 甲状腺结节;木乃伊结节;超声检查;病理学,临床;综述
[中图分类号] R736.1;R445.1
[文献标志码] A
[文章编号] 2096-5532(2021)03-0463-04
doi:10.11712/jms.2096-5532.2021.57.128
[开放科学(资源服务)标识码(OSID)]
[网络出版] https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/37.1517.R.20210628.1639.010.html;2021-06-29 11:03:22
PATHOLOGICAL BASIS AND ULTRASONIC RESEARCH PROGRESS OF MUMMIFIED THYROID NODULES
ZHONG Yanmi, WU Qiong, CHU Xu, NING Chunping, ZHAO Cheng
(Department of Abdominal Ultrasound, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China)
[ABSTRACT]Mummified thyroid nodules (MNs) closely resemble malignant nodules on high-frequency ultrasound imaging, and are easily misdiagnosed. In this paper, we summarize the development of MNs and relevant mechanisms, and review their sonographic characteristics and recent research progress, in order to help sonographers to correctly diagnose MNs.
[KEY WORDS]thyroid nodule; mummy nodules; ultrasonography; pathology, clinical; review
甲狀腺木乃伊结节(MNs)是指在腺体内的囊性或囊实性结节,囊液逐渐被吸收后形成的小结节。有多种命名:塌陷结节[1]、僵尸结节[2-3]、消失的肿瘤[4-5]、MNs[6-7]等。MNs可自发形成,也可继发于粗针穿刺活检(CNB)[2-3,8]、细针穿刺活检(FNA)[5-7,9-12]或乙醇硬化治疗后[13]。MNs声像图多表现为低或极低回声、边界不清、微钙化、纵横比大于1等可疑恶性征象[14-20],极易误诊[13]。且部分结节FNA亦不能得到满意的结果[21-23]。为提高医师对MNs的诊断能力,本文在总结MNs病理改变的基础上,着重对其声像图特征及相关研究进展予以综述。
1 MNs的病理学改变
LIVOLSI等[10]和PANDIT等[24]于1994、2001年先后发现,对甲状腺结节进行FNA后可能会出现一系列令人担忧的组织学改变(WHAFFT),包括以出血、肉芽组织形成、包膜扭曲变形等为主的急性期改变(多发生在FNA后3周内)及以纤维化和核异型为主的慢性期改变(多在FNA后3周后),且发生率高达38.49%。REN等[25]将MNs退变的过程分为3期:早期、出血消退期和慢性期。早期:细胞病理表现为大量机化的红细胞、少量含铁血黄素的巨噬细胞及少量可疑的微钙化等。出血消退期:包含弥漫性基质纤维化、慢性炎性细胞和组织细胞沉积等。慢性期:包含致密的基质纤维化,伴或不伴钙化,可见细胞异型,滤泡细胞少。其他学者研究亦证实甲状腺结节穿刺后会出现WHAFFT[26-28]。
2 MNs的高频超声声像图特征
2.1 体积缩小
体积缩小(图1A、B)是MNs最特异也是最有诊断价值的特征。KOO等[14]发现FNA后,88%(29/33例)MNs出现体积缩小。LACOUT等[7]的研究结果也显示,在12~61个月(平均28个月)的密切随访期间,MNs的体积缩小比例约为45%。
2.2 回声特征
MNs多表现为实性低或极低回声,其原因可能是结节内部坏死、纤维化及囊液吸收/浓缩所致[2,7,15-16,28]。在固缩过程中,结节内部的界面效应、纤维化和钙化等可导致其后方回声衰减,难以与甲状腺乳头状癌(PTC)鉴别。
2.3 形态和边缘
MNs多表现为纵横比大于1或边缘不规则。前者可能是在结节萎缩塌陷过程中,不对称的纤维愈合/收缩(特别是横向收缩)所致[7],而后者主要是由于包膜塌陷、皱缩、扭曲、周围炎性反应及组织牵拉等所致[9]。
2.4 钙化表现
MNs中可出现多种钙化,包括弧形/环形/壳状钙化、粗大钙化和微钙化等[14]。弧形/环形/壳状钙化多出现在结节周边,是结节木乃伊化的终末阶段[7]。然而,当壳状钙化不连续或钙化外有确切的实性低回声成分时,要警惕恶性的可能[29](图1C、D)。粗大钙化多位于结节的中心或略偏心,多是原囊实性结节中实性成分发生退变和钙化所致。微钙化大部分是结节囊性成分中的胶质浓集而成,多位于中心或偏心部、聚集分布,周围多有小囊变区和“彗星尾”征[14,30-31]。
2.5 血供特点
MNs彩色多普勒(CDFI)檢查时,多表现为无血供[7]。但少部分MNs可以“复活”[32],重新出现血流信号和体积增大。微小PTC结节内部多无血供,结节周边有时可见较多血流,形成一个“包围圈”[34-36];但随着结节变大,高血供者所占比例上升,且以内部树枝状血供为主[33,35-38]。因此,CDFI对<1 cm的MNs诊断价值比较有限。超声造影(CEUS)可以弥补CDFI的不足,更精确地显示结节血流灌注情况及血流动力学状态的变化。MNs多表现为内部无增强或少许条索状增强,峰值强度比<1和曲线下面积比<1[7,39-40]。而PTC则多表现为低增强、不均匀增强、边缘不规则增强等血供特点 [41-46]。因此,CEUS可以为鉴别MNs和PTC提供一定的依据。
2.6 特殊征象——“双边征”
“双边征”是由KO等[1]于2012年首次提出的MNs特殊征象,2016年LACOUT等[7]首次予以详细解释和介绍。它是MNs与微小PTC鉴别中最具有提示意义的征象,准确度高达85%[1,7,47-48]。TAN等[50]对193例MNs和109例PTC对照研究发现,该征象对甲状腺良恶性结节的诊断特异度为99.9%。
在高频声像图上,“双边征”多表现为平行/近乎平行的两个环,可占据结节一半以上的边缘部(图2A~C):内环纤细连续,为等/略高/强回声;外环略厚或厚薄欠均匀,为低回声。内环的病理基础为皱缩过程中未被累及或遮挡而保留下来的囊壁结构,外环则为皱缩的囊壁、炎性反应带、纤维化等。值得注意的是,“双边征”在结节不同固缩状态下,有不同的表现,如囊壁收缩征[49]、指纹征或同心圆征[49]和壳状钙化等。囊壁收缩征:是指结节边缘的高回声晕,通常不完整,在其外缘可见裂隙样低回声。指纹征:当某一个方向上(如水平位)吸收比较少,而垂直位吸收比较多时,声像图表现为低回声环和高回声环呈条纹状交错出现(图2D)。同心圆征:各方位对称性吸收,声像图表现为一个完整的低回声晕和高回声环相互嵌套而成,中央为尚未完全吸收的液性成分(图2E)。当囊液完全被吸收后,结节进入木乃伊化的终末阶段,边缘的高回声环形成壳状或弧形强回声(图2F)。另外,“双边征”中的低回声外环需要与PTC周边的低回声晕相鉴别,PTC的低回声晕与癌结节纤维假包膜、周边绕行血管、周围组织受压或浸润等有关[7,46]。TAN等[49]研究表明,19.7%的MNs和37.6%的PTC可以发现晕征。因此,晕征不能鉴别良恶性结节。
MNs与PTC的鉴别是高频超声诊断的难点,需要注意以下3点。①MNs和PTC的声像图特征交叉颇多,当发现可疑MNs时,应首先询问既往病史,若没有确切病史的支持,MNs的诊断应慎重。②对于囊变出血、乙醇硬化或射频消融等介入性治疗的结节,应充分解释和提示,避免后续因为结节发生木乃伊化而误诊。③FNA检查后1~3周内,由于穿刺造成的结节内出血,可能出现 “双边征”等酷似MNs的征象,应警惕。
总之,充分认识MNs的发生机制和演变过程,对理解其声像图特征有帮助。目前有关MNs的超声声像图特征研究还非常有限,亟需大样本的总结和分析,以进一步提高超声医师的鉴别诊断能力。
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(本文編辑 于国艺)