Prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and association between presence of BRAFV600E and extrathyroidal extension in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Intensity at peak time, homogeneity, and size are the three most significant features in predicting CLNM in PTC patients, and the presence of the BRAFV600E mutation was associated with extrathyroidal extensions when PTCs showed a hyper or isoechoic enhancement at peak time in CEUS.