title: Thyroglobulin measurements in washout of fine needle aspirates in cervical lymph nodes for detection of papillary thyroid cancer metastases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the measurement of thyroglobulin in washout needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB-Tg) to detect papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three patients (51.4 ± 14.6 years) with PTC diagnosis and evidence of enlarged cervical lymph nodes (LN) were included. An ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of suspicious LN was performed, for both cytological examination and measurement of FNAB-Tg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median values of FNAB-Tg in patients with metastatic LN (n = 5) was 3,419 ng/mL (11.1-25,538), while patients without LN metastasis (n = 38) showed levels of 3.7 ng/mL (0.8-7.4). Considering a 10 ng/mL cutoff value for FNAB-Tg, the sensitivity and specificity was 100%. There were no differences on the median of FNAB-Tg measurements between those on (TSH 0.07 mUI/mL) or off levothyroxine (TSH 97.4 mUI/mL) therapy (3.3 vs. 3.8 ng/mL, respectively; P = 0.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that evaluation of FNAB-Tg in cervical LN is a valuable diagnostic tool for PTC metastases that can be used independent of the thyroid status.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: André B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.forename: Erika L Souza
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Letícia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balzan
authors.forename: Antônio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Joíza
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: Alceu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migliavacca
authors.forename: José Ricardo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Ana Luiza
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Maia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002277:Carcinoma; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000032:analysis*; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin