Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study
Abstract Background Thyroid nodules are stratified through fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and are often categorized using The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology, which estimates the risk of malignancy for six cytopathological categories. The atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-021-00530-0 |
| _version_ | 1797970419322454016 |
|---|---|
| author | Kalpesh Hathi Tarek Rahmeh Vicki Munro Victoria Northrup Ali Sherazi Christopher J. Chin |
| author_facet | Kalpesh Hathi Tarek Rahmeh Vicki Munro Victoria Northrup Ali Sherazi Christopher J. Chin |
| author_sort | Kalpesh Hathi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Thyroid nodules are stratified through fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and are often categorized using The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology, which estimates the risk of malignancy for six cytopathological categories. The atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS) categories have varying malignancy rates reported in the literature which can range from 6 to 72.9%. Due to this heterogeneity, we assessed the malignancy rate and effectiveness of repeat FNA (rFNA) for AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology at our institution. Methods Electronic health records of patients with AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology on FNA at our center since the implementation of the Bethesda System on May 1, 2014–December 31, 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, treatment pathway, and pathology results were collected. The treatment pathway of the nodules, the rFNA results, and the malignant histopathology results were reported. Malignancy rates were calculated as an upper and lower limit estimate. Results This study described 182 AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules from 177 patients. In total, 24 thyroid nodules were deemed malignant upon histopathology, yielding a final malignancy rate of 13.2–25.3%. All of the malignancies were variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The malignancy rate of the nodules which underwent resection without rFNA (21.5%) was lower than the malignancy rate of the nodules which underwent resection after rFNA (43.8%). 45.5% of the rFNA results were re-classified into more definitive categories. Conclusion The malignancy rate of AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology at our center is in line with the risk of malignancy stated by the 2017 Bethesda System. However, our malignancy rate is lower than some other Canadian centers and approximately half of our rFNAs were re-classified, highlighting the importance of establishing center-specific malignancy and rFNA re-classification rates to guide treatment decisions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:17:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cfedc85888ef45e5867309abfac80cd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1916-0216 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:17:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery |
| spelling | doaj.art-cfedc85888ef45e5867309abfac80cd52023-01-02T10:12:56ZengBMCJournal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery1916-02162021-10-015011710.1186/s40463-021-00530-0Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort studyKalpesh Hathi0Tarek Rahmeh1Vicki Munro2Victoria Northrup3Ali Sherazi4Christopher J. Chin5Dalhousie Medicine New BrunswickDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Horizon Health Network, Saint John Regional HospitalDalhousie Medicine New BrunswickDalhousie Medicine New BrunswickDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Horizon Health Network, Saint John Regional HospitalDalhousie Medicine New BrunswickAbstract Background Thyroid nodules are stratified through fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and are often categorized using The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology, which estimates the risk of malignancy for six cytopathological categories. The atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS) categories have varying malignancy rates reported in the literature which can range from 6 to 72.9%. Due to this heterogeneity, we assessed the malignancy rate and effectiveness of repeat FNA (rFNA) for AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology at our institution. Methods Electronic health records of patients with AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology on FNA at our center since the implementation of the Bethesda System on May 1, 2014–December 31, 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, treatment pathway, and pathology results were collected. The treatment pathway of the nodules, the rFNA results, and the malignant histopathology results were reported. Malignancy rates were calculated as an upper and lower limit estimate. Results This study described 182 AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules from 177 patients. In total, 24 thyroid nodules were deemed malignant upon histopathology, yielding a final malignancy rate of 13.2–25.3%. All of the malignancies were variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The malignancy rate of the nodules which underwent resection without rFNA (21.5%) was lower than the malignancy rate of the nodules which underwent resection after rFNA (43.8%). 45.5% of the rFNA results were re-classified into more definitive categories. Conclusion The malignancy rate of AUS/FLUS thyroid cytopathology at our center is in line with the risk of malignancy stated by the 2017 Bethesda System. However, our malignancy rate is lower than some other Canadian centers and approximately half of our rFNAs were re-classified, highlighting the importance of establishing center-specific malignancy and rFNA re-classification rates to guide treatment decisions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-021-00530-0ThyroidBethesdaAUS/FLUSNoduleCytopathologyFNA |
| spellingShingle | Kalpesh Hathi Tarek Rahmeh Vicki Munro Victoria Northrup Ali Sherazi Christopher J. Chin Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Thyroid Bethesda AUS/FLUS Nodule Cytopathology FNA |
| title | Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study |
| title_full | Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study |
| title_fullStr | Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study |
| title_short | Rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytopathology in a tertiary care center – a retrospective cohort study |
| title_sort | rate of malignancy for thyroid nodules with aus flus cytopathology in a tertiary care center a retrospective cohort study |
| topic | Thyroid Bethesda AUS/FLUS Nodule Cytopathology FNA |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-021-00530-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kalpeshhathi rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy AT tarekrahmeh rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy AT vickimunro rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy AT victorianorthrup rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy AT alisherazi rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy AT christopherjchin rateofmalignancyforthyroidnoduleswithausfluscytopathologyinatertiarycarecenteraretrospectivecohortstudy |