Endocrine Abstracts

The evaluation of a thyroid nodule is a very common clinical problem and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the only test that can provide a definitive preoperative diagnosis of malignancy. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAB are limited by aspirates that yield insufficient material for definitive diagnosis and those with indeterminate diagnoses, which can account for up to 30–40% of all specimens. The detection of several novel gene mutations in differentiated t...

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid can be confidently enlisted as a primary diagnostic tool in evaluating thyroid nodules to spot cancer, although this confidence should be tempered with awareness of possible diagnostic pitfalls. The sources of pitfalls (toward false positive or false negative results) may lie in sampling, in microscopic interpretation, or even in the clinical evaluation. Nonthyroidal lesions (parathyroid, lymph nodes, and salivary glands) aspirated &#145...

The majority of thyroid nodules do not need treatment after the exclusion of malignancy or abnormal thyroid function due to the usually slow growth rate of benign thyroid lesions. Clinical and US follow-up should be performed every 1–2 years. A repeated US-FNA is appropriate only in case of relevant nodule growth or suspicious US changes. A minority of benign nodules present a progressive growth that causes local pressure symptoms or patient’s concern. To avoid unnec...