Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Title abbreviation: Adv Clin Exp Med
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ISSN 1899–5276 (print)
ISSN 2451-2680 (online)
Periodicity – monthly

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Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

2016, vol. 25, nr 1, January-February, p. 93–100

doi: 10.17219/acem/60084

Publication type: original article

Language: English

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Ultrasound Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Thyroid Nodules: Does Radiologist Assistance Decrease the Rate of Unsatisfactory Biopsies?

Krzysztof Kaliszewski1,A,B,C,D,E,F, Agnieszka Zubkiewicz-Kucharska2,C,D, Beata Wojtczak1,E, Marta Strutyńska-Karpińska1,E, Urszula Zaleska-Dorobisz3,E, Elżbieta Leśków4,B

1 1st Department and Clinic of General, Gastroenterological and Endocrine Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

2 Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology for Children and Adolescents, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

3 Department of General and Pediatric Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

4 Department of Pathomorphology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

Abstract

Background. Ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (UG-FNAB) is the main presurgical, minimally invasive, accurate and generally safe procedure for the diagnosis of thyroid pathology. At present it is recommended as a valuable diagnostic tool for the management of thyroid nodules.
Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate if a radiologist’s assistance in the UG-FNAB procedure decreased the rate of unsatisfactory biopsies.
Material and Methods. Over a 3-year period, 385 (100%) patients were enrolled to the study. All individuals had UG-FNAB performed for the first time due to multiple nodules of the thyroid gland. Patients with a family history of thyroid cancer, receiving radioactive iodine and other predispositions for thyroid malignancy were excluded. 184 (47.79%) patients were examined using UG-FNAB with a radiologist’s assistance (group 1) and 201 (52.21%) without such support (group 2). All biopsies were performed by the same surgeon. All specimens obtained were examined by two cytologists experienced in thyroid pathology.
Results. The specimens from the UG-FNAB were more frequently diagnostic when obtained from procedures performed with a radiologist’s assistance (77.8% vs. 56.8%, p < 0.0001). The cellularity of the specimens obtained from the UG-FNAB performed with a radiologist’s assistance was higher than those obtained without such support (66.7% vs. 56.9%, p < 0.0001).
Conclusion. UG-FNAB of the thyroid nodules performed with a radiologist’s assistance makes it possible to obtain more valuable specimens, which may improve diagnostic accuracy in the preoperative management of thyroid pathology.

Key words

thyroid nodules, UG-FNAB, radiologist assistance

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