Prognostic value of the lymph node ratio in surgically treated stage III colorectal cancer patients with high numbers of harvested lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND: The lymph node ratio (LNR), defined as the number of positive lymph nodes (LN) divided by the total number of harvested LN, has been demonstrated to be an independent factor in the prognosis of surgically treated colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study aims to establish the prognostic value of LNR in stage III CRC patients with high numbers of LN removed. METHODS: Stage III CRC patients who underwent curative resections over an 8-year period were included to the study. Demographics, clinicopathological features, surgical as well as recurrence and survival outcomes were recorded and statistically analyzed. Calculations for LNR were carried out as a function of percentage rates and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to determine its effect on disease-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Among a total of 493 surgically treated CRC cases, 104 patients were included to the study consisting of 68 (65.4%) men and 36 (34.6%) women with a median age of 64 (inter-quartile range: 55-74) years. The mean number of harvested LN was 31.6 ± 21.0 (range: 12-103). Multivariate Cox regression analyses proved LNR to be a significant factor in both disease-free and overall survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.003, respectively). Forward elimination analyses showed that a 1% increase in LNR resulted with a 2% increase in both the risks of recurrence and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The LNR may be assessed as an adjunct to the current staging systems for the prediction of oncological outcomes and survival of surgically treated stage III CRC patients.

Protective effects of thymoquinone on the healing process of experimental left colonic anastomosis.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer is globally the third most common cancer. Anastomotic complications remain to be an important issue for colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) on the healing process of left colonic anastomosis in an experimental model. METHODS: Thirty-two male rats were divided into two groups, as the TQ group and the control group. TQ was administered to the TQ group, whereas the control group was given a standard feed and water for 2 wk. Following the creation of a left colonic anastomosis, subjects in both groups were sacrificed on the postoperative (PO) third and seventh days. Anastomotic burst pressures were measured mechanically. Immunohistochemical stainings for proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cluster of differentiation (CD) 31, CD45 were performed, and the matrix metalloproteinase-2 levels were measured. Histologic total scores were calculated according to Ehrlich-Hunt model. A value of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: One rat in the control group that died on the PO fourth day was excluded. Anastomotic burst pressures on the PO seventh day were higher in the TQ group than the control group (P < 0.01). Histopathological total scores on the PO third and seventh days were higher in the TQ group (P < 0.01). In addition, the TQ group revealed lower matrix metalloproteinase-2 scores on the PO third day and higher hydroxyproline levels on the PO seventh day (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The use of TQ in colorectal surgery cases with left-sided colonic anastomosis resulted with increased anastomotic burst pressures and increased tissue hydroxyproline levels.

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Levels in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an inflammatory biomarker that is stored in neutrophil granules. Recent studies revealed that NGAL expression increases in tissue samples of patients with inflammatory gastrointestinal system diseases and cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and predictive significance of plasma NGAL levels in various stages of adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: Eighty cases were included in the study and separated into 3 groups. "Cancer Group" consisted of 27 colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection, whereas 24 patients with colorectal adenomatous polyps detected by colonoscopy were classified as the "Polyp Group", and 29 patients with normal colonoscopy findings were classified as the "Control Group". The serum NGAL, CEA and CA19-9 levels and histopathology findings were determined. Results: The mean plasma NGAL levels for control group, polyp group and cancer group were found to be 91.5 ng/ml, 139.6ng/ml and 184.3ng/ml, respectively. Plasma NGAL levels were found to be significantly higher in cancer group compared to the control group (p:0.006). Plasma NGAL levels were detected statistically significant and positive correlated with tumor diameter and number of metastatic lymph nodes (p:0.047, r:%38.6 and p:0.026, r:%42.8, respectively) in cancer group. Conclusions: We are of the opinion that pre-operative plasma NGAL level is a potential diagnostic biomarker for colorectal cancer patients. Although more comprehensive studies are needed for definitive judgments, serum NGAL levels may be used as a diagnostic and/or predictive biomarker for lymph node metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Robot assisted laparoscopic (RAL) gastrectomy: case series and a review of the literature.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer type and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The contemporary treatment is gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy, which can be accomplished by either conventional (open), or laparoscopic surgery. With the advances in technology, there is a paradigm shift from conventional laparoscopy. As a result, single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), and robot assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) have evolved as new treatment options for minimal invasive surgery. Herein five patients who were treated via robot assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy were reported together with review of the literature.

Acute malignant intestinal obstruction accompanied by synchronous multifocal intestinal cancer in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: report of a case.

Acute mechanical intestinal obstruction is one of the most common modes of presentation in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). This report presents a case of PJS with malignant acute jejunal obstruction accompanied by synchronous foci of duodenal, jejunal, and ileal cancer originated from hamartomatous polyps. The follow-up endoscopic findings of the patient also revealed severe polyposis of the entire gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach and colon, in addition to the small intestine. Very few cases of multifocal synchronous small intestinal cancer in PJS patients have been reported in the previous literature.

Prognostic significance of the preoperative lymphocyte to C-reactive protein ratio in patients with stage III colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Stage III colorectal cancer (CRC), which accounts for approximately one third of all CRC cases, is associated with worsened prognosis. The aim of this study was to compare the preoperatively measured systemic inflammatory markers and to define the most significant marker in terms of its prognostic value in stage III CRC. METHODS: Surgically treated stage III CRC patients were included. Demographics, preoperatively measured Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) values, clinicopathological features, surgical, oncological and survival outcomes were recorded and statistically analysed. RESULTS: The study group of 102 patients consisted of 65 (63.7%) men and 37 (36.3%) women with a median age of 64 (range: 26-89). The mean follow-up period was 42.8 ± 30.5 (range: 6-107) months. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 71.6%, and 67.7%, respectively. Elevated CRP, GPS 2, LCR ≤ 0.530, CAR ≥ 0.080, higher numbers of metastatic lymph nodes and N2b nodal status were detected to impair DFS (P = 0.001, P = 0.015, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001 and P = 0.043, respectively). Variables including GPS 2, PLR≥190.83, CAR≥0.045, LCR≤0.684, surgical site infection and longer hospital stay decreased OS (P = 0.004, P = 0.002, P = 0.005, P = 0.001, P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). According to multivariate analysis; PLR ≥ 190.83 was associated with three times [HR: 2.892 (95% CI: 1.100-7.602), P = 0.031], and LCR ≤ 0.684 was associated with four times [HR: 3.919 (95% CI: 1.130-13.592), P = 0.031] greater risk of cancer-related mortality. CONCLUSION: As an independent prognostic factor, LCR had the highest impact on predicting survival after curative resection for stage III CRC.

Gastric hepatoid carcinoma: Report of a case.

Gastric hepatoid carcinoma (GHC) is a rare type of gastric cancer with a tendency to have poor prognosis and metastasize to the liver. GHCs generally show histopathologically hepatocellular differentiation and secrete alpha fetoprotein (AFP). AFP production can occur in cancers originating from the embryologically similar liver, gastrointestinal tract, and yolk sac and often metastasizes to the liver. Although GHC is aggressive, it may not always cause liver metastasis and may invade into the other abdominal organs by direct contact. In this article, we present a case of locally advanced GHC with high AFP levels.

Comparison of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, Non-oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery and Mastectomy in Early Breast Cancer: A Single Center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Surgical procedures applied in the treatment of early breast cancer (EBC) to achieve satisfactory oncological results lie in a wide spectrum. There has been a major shift toward less-invasive treatments during the past decades. We compared the outcomes of oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS), non-oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (NBCS) and mastectomy in the treatment of EBC. METHODS: The records of 412 patients with EBC who underwent OBS, NBCS or mastectomy at our institution between January 2012 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative complications, local recurrences (LR) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between the groups. EBC patients with unilateral stage-I, IIa and IIb tumors were studied. All patients received adjuvant, targeted and/or endocrine therapy according to the tumor characteristics, followed by radiotherapy (all OBS and NBCS cases, and selected mastectomy patients). RESULTS: Postoperative complications were similar in all groups except for six fat necrosis and partial nipple-areola necrosis in two diabetic patients treated with OBS. Re-excision rate was lower in OBS (6.5%) than NBCS (8%). There was no statistical difference between the groups regarding recurrence (P=1.000) or DFS (P=0.937). CONCLUSION: OBS, NBCS and mastectomy are equally acceptable procedures in EBC in terms of both oncological and surgical aspects.

Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer. / Relación del síndrome metabólico con el cáncer de mama posmenopáusico.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary heart disease. It may also be associated with a higher risk of some common cancers. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. METHODS: We present a prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women. This cohort was divided into two groups: the «benign diagnosis group¼, including women who were studied after breast cancer screening; and the «malignant tumor group¼, including patients with breast cancer that had been diagnosed by biopsy. Age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), abdominal perimeter, serum glucose, LDL, HDL and insulin levels were analyzed as variables under study. The HOMA-IR homeostatic model formula was used to assess insulin resistance. The differences were considered statistically significant when P<.05. RESULTS: Two hundred women with a mean age of 61.5±9.6 (range: 37-93) were enrolled in the study, consisting of 150 (75%) patients with a benign diagnosis and 50 (25%) patients with a malignant tumor. BMI and abdominal perimeter were higher in the group with a malignant tumor (P<.05). The incidence of DM and metabolic syndrome was higher in the malignant tumor group (P<.005). In the malignant tumor group, much higher incidences correlated with fasting glycemic levels >100mg/dL, insulin levels >10mIU/L and HOMA-IR scores >2.7 (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between metabolic syndrome and postmenopausal breast cancer. More studies are needed to establish methods for the prevention of breast cancer in women with metabolic syndrome.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of thyroid cancer. / Utilidad de la resonancia magnética ponderada por difusión cervical en la detección del cáncer tiroideo.

BACKGROUND: Nodular thyroid disease possesses the potential to harbor malignancy. Our aim was to evaluate the significance of cervical diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) for the detection of malignant thyroid nodules. METHODS: Sixty-five thyroid nodules from 58 patients who had undergone surgery were evaluated. Preoperative parameters, demographic data, ultrasound findings, fine-needle aspiration biopsy results and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the nodules at DW-MRI were compared with the results from postoperative pathology examinations. RESULTS: The "benign group" included 50 (76.9%) nodules, while 15 (23.1%) nodules constituted the "malignancy group". Minimum, maximum and mean ADC values of the nodules were significantly lower in the malignancy group (p < 0.05). The best cutoff value for the mean ADC value was 1.33 × 10-3 mm2/s, with a sensitivity of 66.67%, a specifity of 89.13%, a positive predictive value of 53.63% and a negative predictive value of 89.13%. A mean ADC value equal to or lower than 1.33 × 10-3 mm2/s was associated with 9 times higher risk of malignancy (odds ratio: 9.111, 95% confidence interval: 2.49-33.21). CONCLUSIONS: The ADC value detected by cervical DW-MRI can be considered a predictive parameter for the detection of thyroid cancer.

Isolated chylous injury due to blunt abdominal trauma: Report of a case and a review of the literature.

The chyle duct (CD) lies close to the spine behind the right renal vein and vena cava. Forces capable of tearing the CD may also injure other adjacent structures or organs. Cases of isolated chylous injury are rarely reported in the literature. Our aim was to report a case of isolated chylous injury due to blunt abdominal trauma that was successfully treated non-operatively. A 54-year-old man was involved in a deceleration-type traffic accident. His physical examinations, radiologic evaluations, paracentesis, and laboratory findings revealed isolated chylous injury resulting from intra- and retroperitoneal chylous fluid collection. The patient was treated via percutaneous drainage and medical therapy. This condition is generally self-limited and resolves without the necessity of any surgical interventions. However, if medical treatment is unsuccessful, the decision of diagnostic laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy becomes inevitable.

The effect of heme oxygenase-1 induction by octreotide on radiation enteritis.

Radiation enteritis occurs as a response to abdominal radiation, which can cause mucosal damage in the gastrointestinal mucosal epithelium. The small intestine is one of the most radiosensitive organs in the abdomen. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of octreotide (OCT) administration on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression of the radiation enteritis model. Rats received 50 mg/kg/day OCT for 4 days before irradiation and continued for 3 days after irradiation. Intestinal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels are indicators of oxidative damage while caspase-3 activities reveal apoptosis degree of the small intestine. At histological examination, the terminal ileum tissue was analyzed for morphological changes. Irradiation significantly increased the intestinal MPO and caspase-3 activities, MDA levels and HO-1 expression in comparison to sham control group. OCT treatment was associated with increased HO-1 expression and caspase-3 activity, decreased MPO activity and MDA levels. Histological examination revealed that the intestinal mucosal structure was preserved in the OCT treated group. OCT appears to have protective effects against radiation-induced intestinal damage. This protective effect is, in part, mediated by modification of the inflammatory response and the induction of HO-1 expression.

Factors Effecting Mastalgia.

BACKGROUND: Breast pain is one of the leading complaints that ends up with referral to breast surgery clinics. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors that cause mastalgia, and its relation with benign or malignant breast disease. METHODS: The study was performed in 700 patients. Data obtained from surveys, and imaging findings were prospectively recorded, and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 45.20 ± 10.78 years. The mastalgia group included 500 cases; the asymptomatic group comprised 200 individuals. Stressful lifestyle, caffeine consumption, and smoking were associated with mastalgia (p < 0.05). Rates of women who had breast fed 3 times or more were higher in the mastalgia group (p < 0.05). Increased breast density, and breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS) 2 mammography findings were related with mastalgia (p < 0.05). Cysts and fibroadenomas were more common in the mastalgia group (p < 0.05). The incidence of a past history of malignant breast disease was significantly higher in the mastalgia group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Stress, caffeine, smoking, lactation frequency, and benign disorders were factors detected to be related with mastalgia. Although a significant relation between mastalgia and malignant breast disease was detected in our study, more controlled studies are still required to investigate this issue further.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) procedures in general surgery.

BACKGROUND: Robotics was introduced in clinical practice more than two decades ago, and it has gained remarkable popularity for a wide variety of laparoscopic procedures. We report our results of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) in the most commonly applied general surgical procedures. METHOD: Ninety seven patients underwent RALS from 2009 to 2012. Indications for RALS were cholelithiasis, gastric carcinoma, splenic tumors, colorectal carcinoma, benign colorectal diseases, non-toxic nodular goiter and incisional hernia. Records of patients were analyzed for demographic features, intraoperative and postoperative complications and conversion to open surgery. RESULTS: Forty six female and 51 male patients were operated and mean age was 58,4 (range: 25-88). Ninety three out of 97 procedures (96%) were completed robotically, 4 were converted to open surgery and there were 15 postoperative complications. There was no mortality. CONCLUSION: Wide variety of procedures of general surgery can be managed safely and effectively by RALS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factors affecting postoperative hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery: Importance of incidental parathyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated effects of incidental parathyroidectomy, surgical technique, and presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism on occurrence of postoperative persistent or transient hypocalcemia. METHODS: Patients who underwent thyroidectomy at Istanbul Medeniyet University between 2013 and 2015 were included in the study. Patient information, postoperative serum calcium levels, and pathology reports were investigated retrospectively. Group 1 was made up of patients who were found to have hypocalcemia (calcium ≤8.5 mg/dL) according to postoperative serum level and normocalcemic patients were placed in Group 2. Groups were compared statistically in terms of rate of incidental parathyroidectomy, surgical technique, and presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: Mean age was 49.8±12.8 years (range: 20-88). A total of 417 patients were included in the study, 74 (17.7%) were male and 343 (82.3%) were female. Group 1 consisted of 205 (49.2%) patients who had hypocalcemia according to postoperative serum level, and remaining 212 (50.8%) patients were placed in Group 2. In Group 1, 38 (18.5%) patients had incidental parathyroidectomy, and with only 18 (8.5%) patients in Group 2, a statistically significant relationship was found between incidental parathyroidectomy and hypocalcemia (p=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism between groups. There was statistically significant decrease in postoperative hypocalcemia rate in patients with lobectomy compared to patients with bilateral total thyroidectomy or central neck dissection (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Risk of postoperative hypocalcemia may be reduced with lobectomy for selected patients. In addition, delicate dissection during thyroidectomy is important in order to protect parathyroid glands and prevent hypocalcemia.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in an adult with agenesis of right hemidiaphragm and limb reduction defects: First report in literature.

The importance of the complete absence of a hemidiaphragm or unilateral diaphragmatic agenesis in adulthood in relation to performing laparoscopic procedures has not been well documented. This article reports for the first time in literature a case of successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy in an adult with previously undiagnosed unilateral diaphragmatic agenesis. A 36-year-old female complaining of stubborn right upper abdominal pain radiating to her upper back was diagnosed as having cholelithiasis and was scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were also bilateral upper extremity malformations to a certain level. Routine diagnostic tests demonstrated that her entire liver and some bowel loops were in the right hemithorax, suggesting right-sided diaphragmatic hernia. Laparoscopic procedure was performed with the insertion of four trocars. Exploration of abdomen revealed total absence of the right hemidiaphragm. Cholecystectomy was completed laparoscopically in about 45 minutes without need for additional trocars. Patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the second postoperative day without any complaint. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in adults with diaphragmatic agenesis and intrathoracic abdominal viscera can be performed successfully. Nevertheless, any bile duct aberrations must be documented prior to surgery, and the surgeon should be able to convert to open procedure if necessary.

Importance of latency and amplitude values of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy in diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus may cause degeneration in the myelin and/or axonal structures of peripheral nerves. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diabetic neuropathy on intraoperative neuromonitoring findings such as latency and amplitude values of the recurrent laryngeal nerves during thyroidectomy. To our knowledge this is the first study to report comparison of the electrophysiologic features of diabetic and non-diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred-and-eleven consecutive patients who received neuromonitoring during thyroidectomy between 2013 and 2015 were included to study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of diabetes mellitus. Pre-thyroidectomy and post thyroidectomy motor response latency and amplitude values of recurrent laryngeal nerves were compared between groups. Neuromonitoring findings, demographic data and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The diabetic group consisted of 29 (26.1%) patients while 82 (73.9%) patients were in non-diabetic group. The mean post-thyroidectomy amplitude values (millivolts-mV) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve were significantly lower in diabetic group (0.51 ± 0.26 mV vs. 0,70 ± 0,46 mV, p < 0.05), whereas the latency values were significantly higher (2.50 ± 0.86 ms vs. 1.85 ± 0.59 ms, p < 0.01) compared to non-diabetic group. Additionally, post-thyroidectomy latency values were significantly increased compared to the pre-thyroidectomy latency values (2.50 ± 0.86 ms vs. 2.02 ± 0.43 ms) in diabetic group patients (p < 0.05). Although postoperative complication rates were higher in diabetic group (10.3% vs. 5.9%), there were no statistical significance differences. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged latency and decreased amplitude values in recurrent laryngeal nerves of diabetic patients show that diabetic neuropathy of the recurrent laryngeal nerves develop similarly to the peripheral nerves. Increased post-thyroidectomy latency values reveal that the recurrent laryngeal nerve is more susceptible to surgical trauma in diabetic patients.

Clinical Significance of the Glasgow Prognostic Score for Survival after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) has been found to be a useful tool in various cancer types. Our aim was to evaluate the significance of GPS in patients operated on for colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients with CRC who underwent radical resections between April 2010 and January 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. GPS was estimated based on the preoperative measurement of C-reactive protein and serum albumin levels. Data including demographics, laboratory and pathological parameters, surgical outcomes, and late-term follow-up results were analyzed. The study group of 115 patients consisted of 51 (44 %) women and 64 (56 %) men with a median age of 66 (range 32-91) years. The mean follow-up period was 20 (range 7-41) months. Tumor size and wound infection rates were significantly increased in patients with higher GPS (p = 0.019 and p = 0.003, respectively). According to multivariate analyses, CEA and GPS were found to be independent risk factors significantly effecting mortality (p = 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). At the end of the late-term follow-up period, it was detected that cancer-specific survival significantly decreased as the GPS increased (p = 0.016). The GPS is a significant prognostic factor in CRC and should be included in the routine preoperative assessment of all surgically treated CRC patients.

[Torsion of a preperitoneal pedunculated lipoma of anterior abdominal wall mimicking acute appendicitis]. / Akut apandisiti taklit eden karin ön duvari yerlesimli preperitoneal sapli lipom torsiyonu.

Lipoma is the most common benign tumor of adipose tissue. Lipomas can occur almost anywhere in the body, but are rarely found in parietal peritoneum of abdominal wall. Occasionally lipomas are detected incidentally during abdominal surgery for other organ pathologies. Presently described is rare case of torsion of pedunculated lipoma originating in parietal peritoneum of anterior abdominal wall causing abdominal pain that mimicked acute appendicitis in 35-year-old woman.

The association of papillary thyroid cancer with microcalcification in thyroidnodules with indeterminate cytology based on fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Microcalcifications are generally accepted as highly specific for thyroid malignancy, especially for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The aim of this study was to determine the significance of microcalcification within nodules that were classified as being of “indeterminate cytology” (IC) according to fine-needle aspiration biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2010 and 2013 were included in the study. Nodules identified as “atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance", "follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm", or "suspicious for malignancy" were categorized as IC. Patients were subcategorized depending on the presence of microcalcification (Group 1) or its absence (Group 2). The relationship between microcalcification and PTC was evaluated in the IC group retrospectively. RESULTS: Indeterminate cytology was detected in 135 (28.5%) of 473 patients. Microcalcification was detected in 27 (20%) of 135 nodules and classified as Group 1, while the remaining 108 (80%) patients were classified as Group 2. According to the final pathology results, PTC was diagnosed in 13 of 27 (48.1%) patients in Group 1 and 29 of 108 (26.8%) patients in Group 2. A statistically significant relation between microcalcification and malignancy was determined in the IC group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Surgery might be considered primarily for patients harboring nodule(s) with IC accompanied by microcalcification due to increased risk of PTC.