title: Cervical lymph node thyroglobulin measurement in washout of fine-needle aspirates for diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and enlarged cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) are usually assessed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNAB-C). Thyroglobulin (Tg) is frequently detected in washout of fine-needle aspirates (FNA) of these lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the measurement of FNAB-Tg in the washout of FNAB in combination with FNAB-C to detect CLN metastases in PTC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 163 surgically proven CLNs. Ultrasound-guided FNAB-C and FNAB-Tg measurements were performed and the ultrasound features were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FNAB-C, FNAB-Tg and FNAB-C/FNAB-Tg in diagnosis of metastatic CLNs were 85.7, 87.8 and 71.6%, were 80.5, 87 and 82.8% and were 97.1, 96.3 and 95.7%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FNAB-C/FNAB-Tg for metastatic CLNs was significantly higher than that of FNAB-C or FNAB-Tg alone (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined US-guided FNAB-C and FNAB-Tg can improve the accuracy for diagnosis of metastatic CLNs in patients with PTC.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: b Department of Thyroid surgery , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Kejun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Xishuang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Pathology , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Fengyun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: d Department of Oncology , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound , The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000032:analysis*; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013954:Thyroglobulin
keywords: Papillary thyroid cancer; cervical lymph node metastasis; cytology; fine-needle aspiration biopsy; thyroglobulin