Research Information System
16. Annual Meeting of the European Society of Surgery, İstanbul, Turkey, 22 - 24 November 2012, vol.44, pp.13, (Full Text)
Background&Aims: To investigate the effect of nodule size on
the sensitivity of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and ultrasonography (US) in preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer.
Methods: A total of 726 nodules were evaluated both with FNAB
and US. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of both FNAB and US
according to nodule size were determined.
Results: The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FNAB
was 62.4, 81 and 71 %, respectively. The sensitivity of FNAB decreased
in nodules ≥ 3 cm compared to nodules < 3 cm (34 vs. 71 %, p=0.0001).
The sensitivity of FNAB was lower in multinodular goiter patients
compared to that with solitary nodules, the difference was not statistically significant (62 vs. 71 %, p=0.1). Solid hypoechoic structure,
microcalcifications and irregular margin in a nodule at US was significantly associated with thyroid cancer. The sensitivity, specificity
and accuracy of these three features ranged between 26–69, 38–87
and 54–58 %, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of
sonographic features showed no significant difference according to
the nodule size.
Conclusion: The sensitivity of thyroid FNAB is significantly lower
in nodules ≥ 3 cm, whereas US have the same sensitivity for nodules
both ≥ 3 and < 3 cm. In nodules ≥ 3 cm with benign FNAB result and
suspicious sonographic features, the risk of a false negative FNAB
result should be kept in mind.