Immunohistochemical staining for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) of needle core biopsies in the diagnosis of scintigraphically cold thyroid nodules.
BACKGROUND
Cold thyroid nodules are common, in particular in iodine-deficient areas, but only a minority of them are malignant requiring surgery. Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) immunostaining of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) material has proven helpful in diagnosing cells from malignant lesions, but the procedure has its limitations in a routine setting.


OBJECTIVE
To improve diagnosis and reduce surgery rate, the FNAC procedure was replaced by needle core biopsy (NCB), which was routinely stained for TPO by the monoclonal antibody mAb 47.


METHODS
During a 5-year period 427 consecutive patients with a cold thyroid nodule were evaluated by ultrasound-guided NCB, which had been routinely stained for TPO in an automated immunostainer. Sensitivity and specificity and predictive values of the TPO immunostaining were estimated, based on the final diagnosis obtained from surgical resection.


RESULTS
The majority of nodules with benign NCB diagnosis were not surgically removed, and thus a subgroup of 140 operated nodules formed the basis for the calculations. Sensitivity and specificity for benign and malignant lesions were 100% if the oxyphilic variant of adenomas and minimally invasive follicular carcinomas were excluded. By inclusion of these, the values fell to 89% and 97%, respectively. The predictive value of a positive test was 96% and the predictive value of a negative test was 97%.


CONCLUSIONS
TPO immunostaining was found to be a valuable adjunct to morphology in the diagnosis of cold thyroid nodules of the nonoxyphilic type.
Yousaf
U
U
Department of Endocrinology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Christensen
L H
LH
Rasmussen
A K
AK
Jensen
F
F
Mollerup
C L
CL
Kirkegaard
J
J
Lausen
I
I
Rank
F
F
Feldt-Rasmussen
U
U
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
D007453:Iodide Peroxidase