Context:
There are still some controversies regarding the cutoff value and the influential factors of thyroglobulin (Tg) concentration in washout fluid from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy ...(FNA-Tg) on cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).
Objective:
Our aims were to validate the cutoff value of FNA-Tg in diagnosing malignant LNs on a large scale and to investigate the influential factors that could result in the discrepancy between the final diagnosis and FNA-Tg.
Design, Setting, and Participants:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on hospital records with 528 cases of FNA-Tg measurement from 419 PTC patients.
Main Outcome Measure:
The cutoff value of FNA-Tg was obtained from receiver operating characteristic analysis with final diagnosis. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the influential factors.
Results:
In the final diagnosis, 190 LNs were malignant, and 338 LNs were benign. The median FNA-Tg was 521.2 (3676.8) ng/mL in malignant LNs, and 0.1 (0.2) ng/mL in benign LNs. The optimal cutoff value of FNA-Tg in distinguishing malignant LNs from benign LNs was 1.0 ng/mL (sensitivity, 93.2%; specificity, 95.9%) in all cases. Combining FNA-Tg and FNA cytology showed superior diagnostic power (sensitivity, 98.4%; specificity, 94.4%) when compared with diagnostic strategy using either FNA cytology or FNA-Tg alone. FNA-Tg, serum TSH, and serum Tg were higher in nonthyroidectomized patients than in thyroidectomized patients (P < .001, respectively). FNA-Tg was correlated with serum TSH and Tg levels (P < .001, respectively), and binary logistic regression analysis showed that serum TSH suppression and serum Tg presence independently affected the diagnosis made by FNA-Tg.
Conclusions:
Our results validated 1.0 ng/mL of FNA-Tg as a cutoff value for diagnosing LN metastasis of PTC and suggested that serum TSH suppression and serum Tg presence should be considered in diagnosing LN malignancy with FNA-Tg in PTC patients.
-Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies have been an important component in the preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules. Until the introduction of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid ...Cytopathology (BSRTC) in 2008, individual institutions had developed their own diagnostic categories. The BSRTC proposed 6 categories in an attempt to standardize reporting of thyroid FNA.
-To present a 15-year experience of thyroid FNA at one institution, including data before and after introduction of the BSRTC. The risk of malignancy is compared with the meta-analysis of high-quality published data.
-Data sources were PubMed, a manual search of references, and institutional data.
-The diagnostic categories developed at our institution were similar to those proposed by the BSRTC, with best fit into the 6 categories easily accomplished and reported in the final 2 years of the study. Significant differences were noted in the frequencies of cases in diagnostic categories Benign (II; P = .003), Suspicious for follicular neoplasm/Follicular neoplasm (IV; P < .001), and Malignant (VI; P = .003) after the introduction of the BSRTC. Eighteen published articles met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The risk of malignancy in each category in our institution was similar to that determined in the meta-analysis, except for Insufficient for diagnosis (I; 20% versus 9%-14%). Meta-analysis showed an overlapping 95% CI of risk of malignancy between Atypia of undetermined significance/Follicular lesion of undetermined significance (III; 11%-23%) and Suspicious for follicular neoplasm/Follicular neoplasm (IV; 20%-29%), suggesting similar risks of malignancy. The use of newer molecular tests for these indeterminate cases may further refine risk assessment.
Purpose The incidence of renal cell carcinoma is increasing worldwide and there are new treatments for localized as well as metastatic tumors. The traditional role for percutaneous biopsy of renal ...masses has been limited, and so there is little general experience. There have been concerns about safety and accuracy. This review provides an update on the current techniques, indications and accuracy of needle biopsy of renal tumors. Materials and Methods PubMed® and MEDLINE® were searched for English language reports of percutaneous needle core biopsy and fine needle aspiration of renal tumors that were published from 1977 to 2006. Results With the development of new biopsy techniques and wider experience with percutaneous probe ablation therapies the risk of tumor seeding appears negligible. Significant bleeding is unusual and almost always self-limiting. At centers with expertise needle core biopsy with or without fine needle aspiration appears to provide adequate specimens for an accurate diagnosis in more than 90% of renal masses. Conclusions Percutaneous biopsy of renal masses appears to be safe and it carries minimal risk of tumor spread. Urologists should consider increasing the indications for renal biopsy of small renal masses that appear to be renal cell carcinoma, especially in elderly and unfit patients. With more experience and followup preoperative biopsy has the potential to decrease unnecessary treatment since up to a third of small renal masses are now reported to be benign at surgery. Percutaneous biopsy may also allow a better selection of renal tumors for active surveillance and minimally invasive ablative therapies. Finally, there is potential for stratifying initial therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma by histological subtype and in the future molecular characteristics.
Minimally invasive procedures, such as fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsy, are commonly used for the diagnosis in solid organ malignancies. In the era of targeted therapy, it is crucial ...for molecular testing to be performed on these limited volume specimens. Although several recent studies have demonstrated the utility of small biopsy specimens for molecular testing, there remains debate as to whether core needle biopsy specimens are more reliable than fine needle aspiration for molecular studies. In this study, we reviewed concurrently acquired fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsy samples (n=24), and compared overall cellularity, tumor fraction, and the results of next-generation sequencing. All somatic mutations detected in core needle biopsy samples were also detected in fine needle aspiration samples. The estimated tumor fraction was significantly higher in fine needle aspiration smears than core needle biopsy samples (P=0.003), whereas the overall DNA yield from smears was significantly lower than that obtained from the core needle biopsy specimens (P=0.01). The normalized average amplicon coverage for the genes analyzed was significantly higher in cytology smears than paired core needle biopsy samples, with lower numbers of failed amplicons and higher overall mutation allelic frequencies seen in the former. We further evaluated 100 malignant fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsy samples, acquired concurrently, for overall cellularity and tumor fraction. Overall cellularity and tumor fraction of fine needle aspiration samples was significantly higher than concurrently acquired core needle biopsy samples (P<0.001). In conclusion, we show that fine needle aspiration samples frequently provide better cellularity, higher tumor fraction, and superior sequencing metrics than concurrently acquired core needle biopsy samples. Cytologic specimens, therefore, should be better integrated into routine molecular diagnostics workflow to maximize limited tissues for clinically relevant genomic testing.
Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) have increased the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopic diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions. However, the role of ...combining these modalities to overcome each individual technique's limitations and, consequently, to further increase the diagnostic yield remains untested.
A prospective randomized controlled trial involving three diagnostic arms: EBUS only, ENB only, and a combined procedure.
All procedures were performed via flexible bronchoscopy and transbronchial forceps biopsies were obtained without fluoroscopic guidance. In the combined group, after electromagnetic navigation, the ultrasound probe was passed through an extended working channel to visualize the lesion. Biopsies were taken if ultrasound visualization showed that the extended working channel was within the target. Primary outcome was diagnostic yield. The reference "gold standard" was a surgical biopsy if bronchoscopic biopsy did not reveal a definite histological diagnosis compatible with the clinical presentation. Secondary outcomes were yields by size, lobar distribution, and lesion pathology. Complication rates were also documented.
Of the 120 patients recruited, 118 had a definitive histological diagnosis and were included in the final analysis. The diagnostic yield of the combined procedure (88%) was greater than EBUS (69%) or ENB alone (59%; p = 0.02). The combined procedure's yield was independent of lesion size or lobar distribution. The pneumothorax rates ranged from 5 to 8%, with no significant differences between the groups.
Combined EBUS and ENB improves the diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy in peripheral lung lesions without compromising safety.
Advanced bronchoscopy techniques such as electromagnetic navigation (EMN) have been studied in clinical trials, but there are no randomized studies comparing EMN with standard bronchoscopy.
To ...measure and identify the determinants of diagnostic yield for bronchoscopy in patients with peripheral lung lesions. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic yield of different sampling techniques, complications, and practice pattern variations.
We used the AQuIRE (ACCP Quality Improvement Registry, Evaluation, and Education) registry to conduct a multicenter study of consecutive patients who underwent transbronchial biopsy (TBBx) for evaluation of peripheral lesions.
Fifteen centers with 22 physicians enrolled 581 patients. Of the 581 patients, 312 (53.7%) had a diagnostic bronchoscopy. Unadjusted for other factors, the diagnostic yield was 63.7% when no radial endobronchial ultrasound (r-EBUS) and no EMN were used, 57.0% with r-EBUS alone, 38.5% with EMN alone, and 47.1% with EMN combined with r-EBUS. In multivariate analysis, peripheral transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA), larger lesion size, nonupper lobe location, and tobacco use were associated with increased diagnostic yield, whereas EMN was associated with lower diagnostic yield. Peripheral TBNA was used in 16.4% of cases. TBNA was diagnostic, whereas TBBx was nondiagnostic in 9.5% of cases in which both were performed. Complications occurred in 13 (2.2%) patients, and pneumothorax occurred in 10 (1.7%) patients. There were significant differences between centers and physicians in terms of case selection, sampling methods, and anesthesia. Medical center diagnostic yields ranged from 33 to 73% (P = 0.16).
Peripheral TBNA improved diagnostic yield for peripheral lesions but was underused. The diagnostic yields of EMN and r-EBUS were lower than expected, even after adjustment.
To compare malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules with the 2014 American Thyroid Association (ATA) management guidelines and the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS).
This ...retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. The requirement to obtain informed consent was waived. From November 2013 to July 2014, 1293 thyroid nodules in 1241 patients (mean age, 50.8 years ± 13.5) were included in this study. All nodules measured at least 10 mm. Solidity, hypoechogenicity or marked hypoechogenicity, microlobulated to irregular margin, microcalcifications or mixed calcifications, and nonparallel shape were considered suspicious features at ultrasonography (US). A TIRADS category and the US pattern as determined with ATA guidelines were assigned to each nodule. The correlation between the TIRADS category or ATA pattern and the malignancy rate was evaluated with the Spearman rank test.
Of the 1293 thyroid nodules, 1059 (81.9%) were benign and 234 (18.1%) were malignant. Forty-four of the 1293 nodules (3.4%) did not meet the criteria for the ATA patterns and were classified as "not specified." The malignancy rates of TIRADS category 3, 4a, 4b, 4c, and 5 nodules were 1.9% (six of 316 nodules), 4.2% (17 of 408 nodules), 12.9% (33 of 256 nodules), 49.8% (130 of 261 nodules), and 92.3% (48 of 52 nodules), respectively, with significant differences between categories (P < .001). Malignancy rates of nodules with very low, low, intermediate, and high suspicion for malignancy with the ATA guidelines and not specified patterns were 2.7% (11 of 407 nodules), 3.1% (10 of 323 nodules), 16.7% (39 of 233 nodules), 58.0% (166 of 286 nodules), and 18.2% (eight of 44 nodules), respectively, with significant differences between patterns (P < .001). There was high correlation between classification with TIRADS (r = 1.000, P < .001) and ATA guidelines (r = 0.900, P = 0.037), without statistically significant differences (P = .873).
Both TIRADS and the ATA guidelines provide effective malignancy risk stratification for thyroid nodules. Nodules that do not meet the criteria for a specific pattern with the ATA guidelines have a relatively high risk of malignancy (18.2%).
Ultrasound (US) risk stratification systems (RSSs) have been developed to reduce the number of unnecessary fine-needle aspiration procedures (FNA) in patients with thyroid nodules.
We conducted a ...systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the ability of the 5 most common US RSSs for the appropriate selection of thyroid nodules for FNA.
This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019131771). PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched until March 2019.
Original articles reporting data on the performance of AACE/ACE/AME, ACR TI-RADS, ATA, EU-TIRADS, and K-TIRADS were included.
The number of nodules classified as true negative, true positive, false negative, and false positive was extracted. Summary operating points were estimated using a random-effects model. Interobserver agreement was also assessed.
Twelve studies evaluating 18 750 thyroid nodules were included. Participants were adult outpatients with thyroid nodules submitted to either FNA or core-needle biopsy or surgery and with available US images. The final diagnosis for malignant nodules was generally based on histology, while cytology was used for benign nodules. Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) ranged from 2.2 to 4.9. A head-to-head comparison showed a higher relative DOR for ACR-TIRADS versus ATA (P = .002) or K-TIRADS (P = .002), due to a higher relative likelihood ratio for positive results.
The present meta-analysis found a higher performance of ACR TI-RADS in selecting thyroid nodules for FNA. However, the comparison across the most common US RSSs was limited by the data available. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding.
During the past few decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased substantially in many countries, including the USA. The rise in incidence seems to be attributable both to the growing use ...of diagnostic imaging and fine-needle aspiration biopsy, which has led to enhanced detection and diagnosis of subclinical thyroid cancers, and environmental factors. The latest American Thyroid Association (ATA) practice guidelines for the management of adult patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer differ substantially from the previous ATA guidelines published in 2009. Specifically, the problems of overdiagnosis and overtreatment of a disease that is typically indolent, where treatment-related morbidity might not be justified by a survival benefit, now seem to be acknowledged. As few modifiable risk factors for thyroid cancer have been established, the specific environmental factors that have contributed to the rising incidence of thyroid cancer remain speculative. However, the findings of several large, well-designed epidemiological studies have provided new information about exposures (such as obesity) that might influence the development of thyroid cancer. In this Review, we describe the changing incidence of thyroid cancer, suggest potential explanations for these trends, emphasize the implications for patients and highlight ongoing and potential strategies to combat this growing clinical and public health issue.
Objectives
Ultrasound (US)-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and thyroglobulin measurement (FNA-Tg) are two common methods for confirming lymph node metastases (LNM) in patients with ...differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). This study aimed at comparing the diagnostic performance of FNAC, FNA-Tg alone, and in combination by means of a meta-analysis.
Methods
Eligible articles were selected according to predefined criteria, and their quality was evaluated as per the QUADAS-2 checklist. We calculated pooled sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive/negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and plotted the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve using the Meta-DiSc1.4 software.
Results
Twenty-one studies pooling 1662 malignant and 1279 benign LNs from 2712 patients with DTC were included. The results showed that FNAC was more specific (pooled Sp, 0.98) while FNA-Tg was more sensitive (pooled Se, 0.94). FNAC and FNAC+FNA-Tg performed better postoperatively than FNA-Tg, while FNA-Tg performed better preoperatively. The combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg could achieve a better diagnostic performance than each alone (DOR 446.00, area under the curve AUC 0.9862), no matter preoperatively (DOR 378.14, AUC 0.9879) or postoperatively (DOR 788.72, AUC 0.9930). Besides, the combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg/serum-Tg ratio obtained a higher Sp (0.98) than the combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg.
Conclusion
The addition of FNA-Tg, especially the FNA-Tg/serum-Tg ratio, to FNAC could increase the diagnostic performance of LNM in both preoperative and postoperative patients with DTC. Since one test or test combinations could perform differently according to the clinical situation, the best-fitting test should be chosen accordingly.
Key Points
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FNAC is more specific than FNA-Tg while FNA-Tg is more sensitive than FNAC
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The combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg could achieve a better diagnostic performance than either alone, no matter preoperatively or postoperatively
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The combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg/serum-Tg ratio could reach a higher Sp than the combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg
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