Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography-guided nonaspiration cytology (NAC) in nodular thyroid lesions and cervical lymph nodes

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of nonaspiration cytology (NAC) specimens from thyroid nodules and cervical lymph nodes.
Study Design: We studied 1, 044 cases (928 thyroid glands, 116lymph nodes) of ultrasonograpy-guided nonaspiration cytology over a 5-years period.
Histological diagnosis was definitively confirmed in 176 cases (145 thyroid nodules and 31 lymph nodes), and in 76 cases of lymph nodes observed long-term, we analyzed diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of cytology. We also studied the relationship between estimated cytodiagnosis and pathological diagnosis.
Result: Specimens (1.7% as a whole) of 6 thyroid lesions (0.7%) and 12 lymph nodes (10.3%) were found to be inadequate. Thyroid lesion cytodiagnostic accuracy was 89.5%, sensitivity 85.0%, and specificity of thyroid lesions, and 95.6%. Results for lymph nodes were 98.1%, 96.6%, and 98.7%. Diagnostic concordance between cytology and histology for thyroid lesions was 72.4% and lymph nodes93.9%.
Conclusion: Compared to normal aspiration biopsy cytology (FNA), and ultrasonography-guided NAC is superior for thyroid lesions and lymph nodes in both diagnostic accuracy and specimen collection.