Current status and diagnostic values of the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology in a papillary thyroid carcinoma-prevalent area.
Most studies validating the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC) have been conducted in Western countries. We explored the current status of TBSRTC in an area where most thyroid malignancies are papillary carcinomas.



Fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) of thyroid nodules performed in 2013 were retrospectively analyzed and the results were compared to final pathology on resection.



Of 1947 FNAs, 1925 (98.9%) were reported using TBSRTC. Among 381 resected lesions, 27.3% of nondiagnostic, 19.6% of benign, 56.0% of atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), 33.3% of follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), 97.7% of suspicious for malignancy, and 100.0% of malignant lesions were malignant on pathology. The sensitivity and specificity of FNA using TBSRTC were 96.7% and 84.1%, respectively.



TBSRTC works well in an area in which papillary thyroid cancer is prevalent; however, it may underestimate malignancy rates in AUS/FLUS, benign, and nondiagnostic categories. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 269-274, 2017.
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
You-Bin
0000-0003-4058-1738
YB
Lee
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
Yoon Young
YY
Cho
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Ju Young
JY
Jang
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Tae Hyuk
TH
Kim
Department of Medical Education, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hye Won
HW
Jang
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jae Hoon
JH
Chung
Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Young Lyun
YL
Oh
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sun Wook
SW
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000592:standards*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*
fine-needle aspiration; papillary thyroid carcinoma; the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology; thyroid; thyroid nodule