Fine-needle aspiration cytology is the risk stratification tool for thyroid nodules, and ultrasound elastography is not routinely used for the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. The current study aimed to compare the diagnostic parameters of ultrasound elastography and fine-needle aspiration cytology, using surgical pathology as the reference standard. METHODS: In total, 205 patients with abnormal thyroid function test results underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology on the basis of the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging-Reporting and Data System classification and strain ultrasound elastography according to the ASTERIA criteria. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimens was performed according to the 2017 World Health Organization classification system. Moreover, a beneficial score analysis for each modality was conducted. RESULTS: Of 265 nodules, 212 measured X1 cm. The strain index value increased from benign to malignant nodules, and the presence of autoimmune thyroid diseases did not affect the results (p40.05 for all categories). The sensitivities of histopathological examination, ultrasound elastography, and fine-needle aspiration cytology for detection of nodules measuring X1 cm were 1, 1, and 0.97, respectively. The working area for detecting nodule(s) in a single image was similar between strain ultrasound elastography and fine-needle aspiration cytology for highly and moderately suspicious nodules. However, for mildly suspicious, unsuspicious, and benign nodules, the working area for detecting nodule(s) in a single image was higher in strain ultrasound elastography than in fine-needle aspiration cytology. CONCLUSION: Strain ultrasound elastography for highly and moderately suspicious nodules facilitated the detection of mildly suspicious, unsuspicious, and benign nodules.

Background. Perioperative and follow-up outcomes for patients that received robot-assisted kidney transplant (RAKT), compared to patients that received conventional open kidney transplant (OKT), remain unknown. We performed a meta-analysis of controlled studies to compare the safety and efficacy of RAKT versus OKT. Methods. Systematic searching of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify relevant randomized or nonrandomized controlled studies. Perioperative, in-hospital, and follow-up outcomes were summarized. A random-effect model incorporating the potential heterogeneity was used to synthesize the results. Results. Six nonrandomized controlled studies including 263 patients with RAKT and 804 patients with OKT were included. Pooled results showed that compared to those that received OKT, patients that received RAKT had significant higher rewarming time (mean difference (MD): 20.8 min, p < 0.001 ) and total ischemia time (MD: 17.8 min, p = 0.008 ) but a lower incidence of surgical site infection (SSI, risk ratio (RR): 0.22, p = 0.03 ). The incidence of delayed graft function was comparable between groups (RR: 1.10, p = 0.82 ), and the length of hospital stay was similar (MD: -2.03 days, p = 0.21 ). During a follow-up of 31 months, patients that received RAKT and OKT had similar serum creatinine levels (MD: 10.12 mmol/L, p = 0.42 ) and similar incidences of graft rejection (RR: 1.16, p = 0.53 ), graft failure (RR: 0.94, p = 0.79 ), and all-cause mortality (RR: 1.16, p = 0.77 ). Conclusion. Current evidence from nonrandomized studies suggests that RAKT is associated with a lower risk of SSI and similar midterm functional and clinical efficacy compared to OKT. Randomized studies are needed to validate these findings.