Correlation between thyroid fine needle aspiration and pathological examination: a 10 year retrospective study

• Published in: Einstein (São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 21; p. eAO0418
• Main Authors: Silva, Rodrigo Ribeiro E, Borges, Vinicius Ribas de Abreu, Jardim, Alexandre Grunfeld Starling, Volpi, Maria Luisa Hostin, Pope, Leonora Zozula Blind, Medeiros, Manuella Zattar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Humans; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Original; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid neoplasms; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnosis; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroid Neoplasms - surgery; Thyroid nodule; Thyroid Nodule - diagnosis; Thyroid Nodule - pathology; Thyroid Nodule - surgery; Thyroidectomy; Thyroid neoplasms; Thyroid nodule; Biopsy, fine-needle; Thyroidectomy
• ISSN: 1679-4508; 2317-6385; 2317-6385
• DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2023AO0418

To establish the diagnostic performance of fine-needle aspiration in detecting benign and malignant neoplasm in comparison with post-thyroidectomy histopathological findings among patients who received a thyroidectomy. Retrospective observational data collected between 2011-2021 were included from patients who received partial or total thyroidectomy. The Bethesda system was used to classify neoplasms from fine-needle aspiration procedures as benign or malignant. Sample characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were evaluated. Patients (n=360) who underwent thyroidectomy were analyzed, of whom 142 (39.4%) and 218 (60.6%) had benign and malignant neoplasms, respectively. Using the Bethesda system, 23 (6.4%) were classified as unsatisfactory result (BI), 83 (23.1%) as benign (BII), 50 (13.9%) as atypia of undetermined significance (BIII), 23 (6.4%) as suspected follicular or Hürthle cell neoplasia (BIV), 102 (28.3%) as suspected malignancy (BV) and 79 (21.9%) as malignant (BVI). The fine-needle aspiration diagnostic accuracy for carcinomas was 92%, while the sensitivity and specificity were 94.4% and 86.9%, respectively. The negative and positive predictive values were 87.9% and 93.9%, respectively. Fine-needle aspiration has high diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, and is a reliable test for distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid pathologies.