Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology of Thyroid Nodules and Seven Years of Experience

Abstract

Objective: Thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology is a dependable, effective method of detecting thyroid nodules. This study aims to assess the diagnostic distribution of thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology, compare it to postoperative histological tissue diagnoses, and explore its diagnostic compatibility with published data. Materials and Methods:This single-center retrospective descriptive study included 172 cases diagnosed histopathologically out of the 1675 thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology procedures performed in the Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pathology, between 2014 and 2020. The study examined the correlation between cytological and histopathological diagnoses.Results: Of the 172 cases, 132 were female (76.74%), and 40 were male (23.26%). The participants ranged in age from 14 to 79, with a mean age of 49.23±11.83. Fine-needle aspiration cytology results were compared to tissue diagnoses. The method's sensitivity was 61.29%, its specificity was 96.00%, its negative predictive value was 80.00%, its positive predictive value was 90.48%, and its diagnostic efficiency was 82.72%. Conclusion:In our study, the sensitivity and specificity values of cytology were high. Fine-needle aspiration cytology had limited diagnostic contributions in diagnosing papillary microcarcinoma and follicular lesions. In addition to increasing cytopathology experience to improve diagnostic compliance, we believe evaluating patients with clinical and radiological findings will better benefit patient treatment.