Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2013) 32 P271 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.32.P271

ECE2013 Poster Presentations Clinical case reports - Thyroid / Others (62 abstracts)

Malignancy rate of thyroid nodules, which defined as follicular lesion of undetermined significance and atypia of undetermined significance in thyroid cytopathology and relation with ultrasonographic features

Fatma Neslihan Cuhaci 1 , Dilek Arpaci 1 , Rifki Ucler 1 , Gülten Kiyak 2 , Samet Yalcin 3 , Pamir Eren Ersoy 2 , Gülnür Güler 4 , Reyhan Ersoy 5 & Bekir Cakir 5


1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; 2Department of General Surgery, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; 3Department of General Surgery, Yildirim Beyazit Üniversity, Ankara, Turkey; 4Department of Pathology, Yildirim Beyazit Üniversity, Ankara, Turkey; 5Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yildirim Beyazit Üniversity, Ankara, Turkey.


Introduction: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been widely accepted the most accurate, safe and cost-effective method for evaluation of the thyroid nodules. The most challenging category in the FNAC is atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS). Bethesda System (BS) recommends repeat FNAC in that category due to their low risk of malignancy. In our study, we aimed to investigate the malignancy rate of thyroid nodules of AUS and FLUS and to evaluate the presence of biochemical, clinical and echographic features possibly predictive of malignancy related to AUS and FLUS.

Materials and methods: Data of 268 patients operated for AUS and FLUS cytology were screened retrospectively. Ultrasonographic features and thyroid function tests, thyroid antibodies, scintigraphy and histopathological results were evaluated.

Results: Two hundred and seventy six nodules of 268 patient’s results are evaluated. Malignancy rates were 24.3% in the AUS group, 19.8% in the FLUS group and 22.8% in both group. In the evaluation of all nodules the predictive features of malignancy are hypoechogenicity and peripheral vascularization of the nodule. In the AUS group, the predictive feature of malignancy is only hypoechogenicity, and peripheral vascularization in the FLUS group.

Conclusion: We determined that the malignancy rates in these nodules are higher than the anticipated literature rate. This high ratio may be due to the fact that we studied only patients who underwent surgery. The ultrasonographic features alone may be insufficient to predict the malignancy, therefore all the clinical and ultrasonographic features must be considered in the evaluation of the thyroid nodules. In addition, we think that, the recommended management of repeat FNAC in these groups must be reconsidered with the clinical and ultrasonographic features.

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