The predictivity of thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy varies depending on the radiologist experience: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: To compare thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy with histopathological examination results. Material and Methods: Postoperative histopathological examination results of 361 patients, who were thyroidectomized between December 2010 and October 2017 in Ýnonu University Turgut Ozal Medical Center Department of General Surgery and whose preoperative FNAB registries we could reach were evaluated retrospectively. Biopsies made in external centers were included in preoperative FNAB results. FNAB results were examined according to Bethesda 2007 in 6 categories: unsatisfactory, benign, atypia of undetermined significance, follicular lesion-neoplasm or suspicious for a neoplasm, suspicious for malignancy and malignant. Histopathological results of patients with incidental malignancy were presumed benign. Results: Among the 361 patients that were included in the study, 274 were female (75.9%), 87 were male(24.1%). Mean age of the patients in the benign group was 49.1±12.5 years, and 48.6±13.5 years in the malignant group. It was found that FNAB’s sensitivity was 83.9 %, specificity was 92.4%, false positive rate was 16.1% and false negative rate was 7.6%. Conclusion: FNAB is reported as the gold standard for preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules. In our study, however, it was seen that FNAB was not adequate alone to detect malignancy. This situation suggests the importance of collaboration between radiologist, cytopathologist and clinician.