Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2012) 29 P1852

ICEECE2012 Poster Presentations Thyroid cancer (108 abstracts)

Sonographic characteristics of thyroid nodules and the corresponding cytological results from the fine-needle aspiration biopsies

M. Boyanov


Alexandrovska Hospital, Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria.


Introduction: A major objective of the ultrasound of thyroid nodules is the stratification of the risk for possible malignancy and the selection of nodules for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and cytological examination.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the sonographic criteria used in the selection of thyroid nodules for FNAB and to compare them to the cytological reports.

Methods/Design: This was a retrospective study. 155 cases of FNAB of thyroid nodules for the last 3 years were suitable for analysis (147 women and 8 men). The thyroid sonography was performed on a Fukuda-Denshi 5500 device (Fukuda Corp., Japan) with a linear-array transducer 7.5 MHz. The ultrasound-guided FNABs were performed by the “free hand” technique; smears were fixed and processed according to Pappenheim.

Results: The following ultrasound features suspicious for possible malignancy were reviewed: hypoechogeneity to the surrounding parenchyma (which was the case in 51.6% of the biopsied nodules), spiculated margins (5.2%), blurred margins (48.4%), absence of halo (34.8%), presence of microcalcifications (5.8%), a taller than wide shape (7.7%), and a significant cervical lymphadenopathy (0.6%). 7.1% of all nodules had no suspicious features, 32.2% had only one, 45.8% - two, and 14.8% had three feautures. The cytology reports showed no risk of malignancy in the absence of suspicious features, a 10% risk - if one feature was present, a 16.9% - if two were present, and a 21.7% risk - if three ultrasound features were present.

Conclusion: The studied thyroid nodules had not been optimally selected by ultrasound prior to the FNAB.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector

Volume 29

15th International & 14th European Congress of Endocrinology

European Society of Endocrinology 

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