Risk Factors Associated with Thyroid Nodules in Patients with Acromegaly

  Objective  To identify risk factors associated with thyroid nodular lesions in patients with acromegaly.

  Methods  Clinical and thyroid ultrasonography data of patients with acromegaly diagnosed in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from May 2009 to January 2018 were reviewed and analyzed. Multivariate linear regression models were established to identify factors associated with thyroid volumes and size of thyroid nodules. Multivariate binary logistic regression models were established to determine risk factors associated with thyroid nodules in patients with acromegaly.

  Results  Of the 240 acromegaly patients, 70 received thyroid ultrasonography and 56 had thyroid nodules (56/70, 80%). The patients with thyroid nodules had a longer median duration of acromegaly than 14 patients who without thyroid nodules (8.0 years vs. 3.0 years, P＜0.05), but had a similar mean age and female to male ratio with the latter. The risk of thyroid nodules increased with the duration of acromegalyodds ratio=1.306, 95% confidence interval (1.010, 1.688), P=0.042. The level of random growth hormone was linearly correlated with thyroid volumes. Gender, age, and serum growth hormone were not predictors of thyroid nodules in patients with acromegaly.

  Conclusion  Duration of acromegaly is an independent predictor of thyroid nodules.