Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2013) 32 P1101 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.32.P1101

ECE2013 Poster Presentations Thyroid cancer (64 abstracts)

Thyroglobulin levels in the washout of lymph node fine-needle aspirate on patients with previous history of differentiated thyroid cancer

Sofia Gouveia 1 , Cristina Ribeiro 1 , Sandra Paiva 1 , Márcia Alves 1 , Joana Saraiva 1 , Carolina Moreno 1 , Daniela Guelho 1 , Fátima Leitão 2 & Francisco Carrilho 1


1Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Department, Coimbra’s University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal; 2Clinical Pathology Department, Coimbra’s University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal.


Introduction: Our aim was to determine the comparable value of thyroglobulin in the washout of lymph node fine-needle aspirate (FNATg) and fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Materials and methods: We included 29 patients (37 FNAB) with history of differentiated thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy and were found to have suspicious cervical lymph nodes during follow-up. The referred population was evaluated on what concerns to gender, age, serum thyroglobulin, thyroglobulin antibodies, FNATg, FNAB and lymph node echographic features.

Results: Cohort with 69% females; mean age of 45.9±15.1 years. Considering the serum thyroglobulin levels, 72% patients had disease’s persistence.

FNATg levels were undetectable (<1 ng/ml) in 40.5%, low (1.1–2.5 ng/ml) in 5.4% and high (54.3–155000 ng/ml) in 54.1% of samples. About 37.8% of FNAB results were benign, 35.1% non-diagnostic and 27% malignant.

All patients with undetectable FNATg had benign or non-diagnostic FNAB. On the group of malignant FNAB (n=9), eight had high levels of FNATg and one had a low level.

After excluding the non-diagnostic FNAB, we obtained 88% of concordant results of FNATg and FNAB.

None of the patients with positive thyroglobulin antibodies and malignant FNAB had undetectable levels of FNATg.

Conclusion: In a patient with discordant FNATg and FNAB (high FNATg; benign FNAB), a surgical intervention confirmed the presence of metastasis. In this context, FNATg was of inestimable value, as it prevented further investigation that would delay cervical lymphadenectomy.

Positive thyroglobulin antibodies did not appear to influence FNATg levels.

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