title: The interobserver reproducibility of thyroid cytopathology using Bethesda Reporting System: analysis of 200 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine interobserver reproducibility of thyroid cytopathology in cases of thyroid fine needle aspirates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective, descriptive study, was conducted at the Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, using cases related to period between 2009 and 2011. A total of 200 cases of fine-needle aspirations were retrieved from the archives. Three histopathologists independently categorised them into 6 groups according to Bethesda reporting system guidelines without looking at previous reports. Kappa statistics were used for analysis of the results on SPSS 17.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 200 patients, 194 (97%) were females and 6 (3%) were males. The overall mean age of patients was 46 +/- 20 years. Kappa value calculated for observer-1 and observer-2 was 0.735; for observer-1 and observer-3, 0.841; and for observer-2 and observer-3, 0.838, showing substantial interobserver agreement. Histopathological correlation was available, for 39 (19.5%). Of these cases, 5 (13%) were 'non-diagnostic, 20 (51%) 'benign, 2 (5%) 'atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance, 6 (15%) 'follicular neoplasm, 1 (3%) 'suspicious for malignancy, and 5 (13%) 'malignant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good overall interoberver agreement was found, but discordance was seen when certain categories were analysed separately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad. a_safina@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Safina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Mumtaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Masood Ahmad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Faiza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.affiliation: FCPS II trainee, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Fozia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noreen
authors.affiliation: FCPS II trainee, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nawaz
authors.affiliation: FCPS II trainee, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Iram
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sohail
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology*