Nondiagnostic thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology: outcome in surgical treatment.
BACKGROUND
Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) is the main screening process for distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules. Despite this, by 5-29% of patients, their FNA results are not enough to confirm malign neoplasia, particularly in cases with follicular lesions. The objective of this report is to present the definitive histological results of a group of 41 patients with FNA of Thyroid nodule catalogued as "indeterminate/non diagnostic" sent for surgical treatment.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was done on all of the patients who had underwent surgery for thyroid nodule, with a previous diagnosis of "indeterminate/non diagnostic" by FNA. Forty-one patients, three male (7.31%), and 38 female (92.68%), were included in the present study.


RESULTS
Fifteen women and one man were positive for malignancies (39.02%). The nodule was bigger than 4 cm in 23 patients in total (56.09%), and of this percentage, 6 were malignant (26.09%). According to age, 24 patients were older than 45 years (58.5%), 8 of whom showed malignant pathology (33.3%). All these variables were non significant. Fifteen of 16 patients had a definitive diagnosis of papillary carcinoma and one follicular carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of patients with a diagnosis of "indeterminated/non diagnostic" had benign lesions (60.9%). The usual predictive factors for malignity such as age, sex, size of nodule, did not present a significant support in the differential diagnosis.
Tamez-Pérez
Héctor Eloy
HE
Departamento de Endocrinologá, División de Medicina Interna, Hospital de Especialidades No 25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. hectorelovtamez@aol.com
Gutiérrez-Hermosillo
Hugo
H
Forsbach-Sánchez
Gerardo
G
Gómez-de Ossio
María Dolores
MD
González-González
Gerardo
G
Guzmán-López
Santos
S
Tamez-Peña
Alejandra Lorena
AL
Mora-Torres
Nishmy Eloísa
NE
González-Murillo
Eduardo Alfredo
EA
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures