Correlation between BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma and the sonographic findings

Objective: To observe the relationship between BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the sonographic findings.Methods: The study included 34 fresh PTC tissue samples and the neighboring tissues from the patients surgically confirmed PTC.The BRAF V600E mutation of all the cases was determined by allelespecific polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing.The ultrasound findings were compared between the nodules with and without mutation.Results: Of the 34 carcinoma samples,BRAF V600E mutation was observed in 18 cases and no BRAF V600E mutation in 16 cases.Of all the 34 neighboring samples,BRAF V600E mutation was observed in no one.The sonographic findings showed that patients with BRAF V600E mutation had no significant difference with those without BRAF V600E mutation in the tumor size,margin or calcification (P>0.05).Conclusions: BRAF V600E mutation is frequently observed in patients with PTC,and it has no significant connection with the sonographic findings of the nodules.Sonographic findings can't predict BRAF V600E mutation in the PTC.