Table 1 Patient characteristics

Age, mean ± SD, years

53.49 ± 12.78

45.99 ± 14.63

<0.001*

53.59 ± 12.89

46.19 ± 14.15

<0.001*

0.764

Thyroid volume, cm³

22.70 ± 29.53

11.49 ± 15.37

<0.001*

20.58 ± 19.44

10.81 ± 13.55

<0.001*

0.569

Gender

0.083

0.773

0.842

 Male

45 (19.6)

45 (26.9)

26 (24.3)

15 (22.1)

 Female

185 (80.4)

122 (73.1)

81 (75.7)

53 (77.9)

Number

<0.001*

<0.001*

0.586

 Unifocal

47 (20.4)

80 (47.9)

22 (20.6)

33 (48.5)

 Multifocal

183 (79.6)

87 (52.1)

85 (79.4 )

35 (51.5)

Location

0.278

0.074

0.269

 Left lobe

108 (47.0)

65 (38.9)

60 (56.1)

27 (39.7)

 Right lobe

113 (49.1)

95 (56.9)

41 (38.3)

38 (55.9)

 Isthmus

9 (3.9)

7 (4.2)

6 (5.6)

27 (39.7)

Size

<0.001*

<0.001*

0.387

 0.5-1 cm

65 (28.3)

89 (53.3)

23 (21.5)

38 (55.9)

 1-4 cm

128 (55.7)

67 (40.1)

63 (58.9)

23 (33.8)

 ≥4 cm

37 (16.1)

11 (6.6)

21 (19.6)

7 (10.3)

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

0.089

0.041*

0.007*

 Absent

192 (83.5)

128 (76.6)

100 (93.5)

57 (83.8)

 Present

38 (16.5)

39 (23.4)

7 (6.5)

11 (16.2)