THE IMPACT OF PATIENT ANXIETY AND PAIN PERCEPTION ON THE ADEQUACY OF THYROID FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY SAMPLES: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the most accurate diagnostic method to assess the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules. However, non-diagnostic results may delay diagnosis, cause unnecessary interventions, and distress patients. Aim: We aimed to determine whether a correlation exists between patients' situational anxiety, pain perception and non-diagnostic cytology results. Methods: The prospective study included patients who underwent thyroid FNAB at the Endocrinology Clinic of Sultan Abdulhamid Training and Research Hospital between 11/2022 and 02/2023. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS) assessed situational anxiety and pain in patients undergoing biopsy procedures. We evaluated whether the STAI-S and VAS score is related to non-diagnostic results. Results: Of the 119 patients included in the study, 98 were female, and 21 were male. 25 (21%) nodules were non-diagnostic. The patients' mean STAI-S score before the biopsy was 47.31±12.37, and the mean VAS score after the thyroid biopsy was 2.57±1.51. A statistically significant relation was found between the patient's STAI-S score and VAS score and the cytology result of non-diagnostic (p= 0.001 and p=0.008). In univariate logistic regression, high pre-procedural anxiety (OR:3.09, 95% CI:1.07-8.94, P =0.037) and VAS score (OR:1.57, 95% CI: 1.17-2.10, P =0.002) were associated with non-diagnostic cytology. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, VAS score (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.07-2.34, p=0.019) was still an independent factor related to specimen adequacy. Conclusions: Anxiety level and pain perception during FNAB may be considered risk factors for non-diagnostic cytology. Thus, reducing anxiety and pain may decrease the incidence of non-diagnostic outcomes.

Radiomics Combined with ACR TI-RADS for Thyroid Nodules: Diagnostic Performance, Unnecessary Biopsy Rate, and Nomogram Construction.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To develop a radiomics model with enhanced diagnostic performance, reduced unnecessary fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) rate, and improved clinical net benefit for thyroid nodules. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 217 thyroid nodules. Lesions were divided into training (n = 152) and verification (n = 65) cohorts. Three radiomics scores were derived from B-mode ultrasound (B-US) and strain elastography (SE) images, alone and in combination. A radiomics nomogram was constructed by combining high-frequency ultrasonic features and the best-performing radiomics score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), unnecessary FNA rate, and decision curve analysis (DCA) results for the nomogram were compared to those obtained with the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) score and the combined TI-RADS+SE+ contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) advanced clinical score. RESULTS: The three radiomics scores (B-US, SE, B-US+SE) achieved training AUCs of 0.753 (0.668-0.825), 0.761 (0.674-0.838), and 0.795 (0.715-0.871), and validation AUCs of 0.732 (0.579-0.867), 0.753 (0.609-0.892), and 0.752 (0.592-0.899) respectively. The AUC of the nomogram for the entire patient cohort was 0.909 (0.864-0.954), which was higher than that of the ACR TI-RADS score (P < 0.001) and equivalent to the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score (P = 0.753). Similarly, the unnecessary FNA rate of the radiomics nomogram was significantly lower than that of the ACR TI-RADS score (P = 0.007) and equivalent to the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score (P = 0.457). DCA also showed that the radiomics nomogram brought more net clinical benefit than the ACR TI-RADS score but was similar to that of the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score. CONCLUSION: The radiomics nomogram developed in this study can be used as an objective, accurate, cost-effective, and noninvasive method for the characterization of thyroid nodules.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring by flexible laryngoscopy during thyroid radiofrequency ablation in the awake patient.

Objective: Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective non-surgical treatment for benign thyroid nodules, injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), is a potential and feared complication. Intermittent voice checks have been proposed to monitor vocal cord (VC) function during RFA, but such assessment is highly subjective and effort-dependent. Methods: We are here reporting the methodological use of flexible laryngoscopy (FL) for VC monitoring during bilateral thyroid RFA treatment. The patient, a 35-year-old woman, was referred to the Endocrinology Unit for subclinical hyperthyroidism due to bilateral autonomously functioning thyroid nodules. Results: At the end of the treatment of the first nodule, the FL performed by an otorhinolaryngologist specialist allowed evaluating VC function and ruling out possible paralysis before proceeding with the contralateral RFA treatment. The patient was awake during the entire procedure and well tolerated the laryngoscopic examination. The TSH serum evaluations performed one month and 9 months after the procedure assessed an euthyroid state (TSH 3.2 mIU/L and 2.8 mIU/L, respectively). Conclusion: During bilateral thyroid RFA the use of FL for VC monitoring treatment resulted in a safe, easy-to-perform, and effective strategy to minimize and anticipate RLN injury risk in the awake patient. The prevention of RLN damage is advisable in the case of single RFA treatment, while it should be strongly recommended when RFA is performed on bilateral nodules.

Cost Effectiveness of Definitive Treatment Strategies for Autonomously Functioning Thyroid Nodules.

OBJECTIVE: Autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN) can be treated with antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (RAI), thyroid lobectomy or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Although surgery is most definitive, some patients require lifelong hormone supplementation. RFA avoids this sequela, but its efficacy depends on nodule size. This study aims to compare the relative cost-effectiveness of RAI, RFA and lobectomy for treatment of AFTNs. STUDY DESIGN: A Markov analysis model was created to simulate clinical outcomes, costs and utilities for three AFTN treatments: (1) thyroid lobectomy, (2) RAI, and (3) RFA. PATIENTS: This mathematical model was created using published literature and modeling. MEASUREMENTS: Transition probabilities, utilities and costs were extracted from published literature, Medicare, and RedBook. The willingness to pay threshold was set to $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year. The model simulated 2-year outcomes, reflecting RFA literature. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to account for uncertainty in model variables. RESULTS: In the base model, RAI dominated both lobectomy and RFA, with lower estimated cost ($2000 vs. $9452 and $10,087) and higher cumulative utility (1.89 vs. 1.82 and 1.78 quality-adjusted life years). One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that relative cost-effectiveness between surgery and RFA was driven by the probability of euthyroidism after RFA and hypothyroidism after lobectomy. RFA becomes more cost-effective than surgery if the rate of euthyroidism after ablation is higher than 69% (baseline 54%). CONCLUSION: Based on published data, RAI is most cost-effective in treating most AFTN. Surgery is more cost-effective than RFA in most scenarios, but RFA may be more resource-efficient for smaller nodules with a high likelihood of complete treatment.

Federated learning via multi-attention guided UNet for thyroid nodule segmentation of ultrasound images.

Accurate segmentation of thyroid nodules is essential for early screening and diagnosis, but it can be challenging due to the nodules' varying sizes and positions. To address this issue, we propose a multi-attention guided UNet (MAUNet) for thyroid nodule segmentation. We use a multi-scale cross attention (MSCA) module for initial image feature extraction. By integrating interactions between features at different scales, the impact of thyroid nodule shape and size on the segmentation results has been reduced. Additionally, we incorporate a dual attention (DA) module into the skip-connection step of the UNet network, which promotes information exchange and fusion between the encoder and decoder. To test the model's robustness and effectiveness, we conduct the extensive experiments on multi-center ultrasound images provided by 17 local hospitals. The model is trained using the federal learning mechanism to ensure privacy protection. The experimental results show that the Dice scores of the model on the data sets from the three centers are 0.908, 0.912 and 0.887, respectively. Compared to existing methods, our method demonstrates higher generalization ability on multi-center datasets and achieves better segmentation results.

Improving the diagnostic strategy for thyroid nodules: a combination of artificial intelligence-based computer-aided diagnosis system and shear wave elastography.

PURPOSE: Thyroid nodules are highly prevalent in the general population, posing a clinical challenge in accurately distinguishing between benign and malignant cases. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of different strategies, utilizing a combination of a computer-aided diagnosis system (AmCAD) and shear wave elastography (SWE) imaging, to effectively differentiate benign and malignant thyroid nodules in ultrasonography. METHODS: A total of 126 thyroid nodules with pathological confirmation were prospectively included in this study. The AmCAD was utilized to analyze the ultrasound imaging characteristics of the nodules, while the SWE was employed to measure their stiffness in both transverse and longitudinal thyroid scans. Twelve diagnostic patterns were formed by combining AmCAD diagnosis and SWE values, including isolation, series, parallel, and integration. The diagnostic performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, missed malignancy rate, and unnecessary biopsy rate were also determined. RESULTS: Various diagnostic schemes have shown specific advantages in terms of diagnostic performance. Overall, integrating AmCAD with SWE imaging in the transverse scan yielded the most favorable diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 72.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 63.0-81.5%), outperforming other diagnostic schemes. Furthermore, in the subgroup analysis of nodules measuring <2 cm or 2-4 cm, the integrated scheme consistently exhibited promising diagnostic performance, with AUCs of 74.2% (95% CI: 61.9-86.4%) and 77.4% (95% CI: 59.4-95.3%) respectively, surpassing other diagnostic schemes. The integrated scheme also effectively addressed thyroid nodule management by reducing the missed malignancy rate to 9.5% and unnecessary biopsy rate to 22.2%. CONCLUSION: The integration of AmCAD and SWE imaging in the transverse thyroid scan significantly enhances the diagnostic performance for distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. This strategy offers clinicians the advantage of obtaining more accurate clinical diagnoses and making well-informed decisions regarding patient management.

Current role of interventional radiology in thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules are a prevalent health issue in society. Interventional radiological methods are successfully applied for both the diagnosis and treatment of nodules. Diagnostically, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy and a core needle biopsy can be performed to ascertain the benign or malignant nature of a lesion. In recent years, imaging-guided percutaneous treatment methods have become popular in the treatment of thyroid nodules. Aspiration, ablation, and embolization are techniques employed in the treatment process. In this study, we aimed to discuss the current role of interventional radiology in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules, which occupy an important place in clinical practice.

Thyroid Cancer-Related Fear & Anxiety in Patients With Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Mixed-Methods Study.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid cancer diagnosis often evokes strong negative emotions in patients, yet little is understood about such responses in those with benign thyroid nodules. This study explored the impact of a hypothetical cancer diagnosis, the provision of treatment information, and emotional support from surgeons on patients with benign nodules. METHODS: Patients within 30 d of a thyroid nodule biopsy were asked to imagine their nodule was cancerous and write down their feelings about this diagnosis. They then viewed a video depicting a patient-surgeon discussion of thyroid cancer treatment options, with or without added emotional support (1:1 randomized allocation). Validated measures assessed anxiety and thyroid cancer-related fear before and after video-viewing. Thematic analysis evaluated participants' feelings about the hypothetical diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 221 eligible patients, 118 participated (53.4%). While participants state anxiety increased after performing the thought exercise and watching the video (9 [6, 11]-12 [8, 14]; P < 0.001), thyroid cancer-related fear decreased over the same period (27 [22, 30]-25 [20, 29]; P < 0.001). Emotional support by the surgeon in the video did not affect anxiety or fear. Themes that emerged from participants imagining they have thyroid cancer included information seeking, trust in medicine, cancer experience, thyroid cancer knowledge, apprehension about surgery, and impact on family. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recently diagnosed benign thyroid nodules experience heightened anxiety when contemplating thyroid cancer. Provision of treatment and disease information mitigates cancer-related fear, while emotional support does not. Offering patients with thyroid nodules information about thyroid cancer before biopsy may offer emotional benefits.

Visualizing thyroid health: a pictorial journey through 2017 ACR TI-RADS and common thyroid pathologies.

With the advent of high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS), more thyroid nodules are being detected than ever before, and they are being identified at an earlier stage. It poses a challenge for radiologists and clinicians in deciding what to do next. Most nodules are benign and require no follow-up and intervention. Even highly suspicious nodules can be followed up, if the size is small. Variations in HRUS interpretation among radiologists are common, with frequent misidentifications between spongiform and solid-cystic lesions, hypoechoic and very hypoechoic nodules, and microcalcification and hyperechoic foci with comet-tail artifacts. Cystic lesions with echogenic contents are often confused with solid nodules, cystic papillary carcinoma thyroid is often confused with colloid cysts. The 2017 ACR TI-RADS (American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System) aims to standardize the interpretation of thyroid nodules and guide further management. Rather than giving specific diagnosis like colloid cyst, adenomatous nodule and papillary carcinoma; ACR TI-RADS classifies nodules from TI-RADS 1 to TI-RADS 5 based on HRUS characteristics and recommends further management. What the authors often read are textual contents that are theoretical, and in practice, the authors get confused while interpreting the characteristics of thyroid nodules. This review offers a detailed visual overview of the 2017 ACR TI-RADS and common thyroid conditions, explaining key features through imaging data and examples for consistent interpretation. Combining textual explanations with visual aids, this article provides practical guidance for interpreting thyroid nodules for radiologists, and clinicians seeking a clear understanding of thyroid imaging and pathology.

A prognostic model for thermal ablation of benign thyroid nodules based on interpretable machine learning.

Introduction: The detection rate of benign thyroid nodules is increasing every year, with some affected patients experiencing symptoms. Ultrasound-guided thermal ablation can reduce the volume of nodules to alleviate symptoms. As the degree and speed of lesion absorption vary greatly between individuals, an effective model to predict curative effect after ablation is lacking. This study aims to predict the efficacy of ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for benign thyroid nodules using machine learning and explain the characteristics affecting the nodule volume reduction ratio (VRR). Design: Prospective study. Patients: The clinical and ultrasonic characteristics of patients who underwent ultrasound-guided thermal ablation of benign thyroid nodules at our hospital between January 2020 and January 2023 were recorded. Measurements: Six machine learning models (logistic regression, support vector machine, decision tree, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting [XGBoost], and Light Gradient Boosting Machine [LGBM]) were constructed to predict efficacy; the effectiveness of each model was evaluated, and the optimal model selected. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was used to visualize the decision process of the optimal model and analyze the characteristics affecting the VRR. Results: In total, 518 benign thyroid nodules were included: 356 in the satisfactory group (VRR ≥70% 1 year after operation) and 162 in the unsatisfactory group. The optimal XGBoost model predicted satisfactory efficacy with 78.9% accuracy, 88.8% precision, 79.8% recall rate, an F1 value of 0.84 F1, and an area under the curve of 0.86. The top five characteristics that affected VRRs were the proportion of solid components < 20%, initial nodule volume, blood flow score, peripheral blood flow pattern, and proportion of solid components 50-80%. Conclusions: The models, based on interpretable machine learning, predicted the VRR after thermal ablation for benign thyroid nodules, which provided a reference for preoperative treatment decisions.

A model based on C-TIRADS combined with SWE for predicting Bethesda I thyroid nodules.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the performance of a model based on Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (C-TIRADS), clinical characteristics, and shear wave elastography (SWE) for the prediction of Bethesda I thyroid nodules before fine needle aspiration (FNA). Materials and methods: A total of 267 thyroid nodules from 267 patients were enrolled. Ultrasound and SWE were performed for all nodules before FNA. The nodules were scored according to the 2020 C-TIRADS, and the ultrasound and SWE characteristics of Bethesda I and non-I thyroid nodules were compared. The independent predictors were determined by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A predictive model was established based on independent predictors, and the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of the independent predictors were compared with that of the model. Results: Our study found that the maximum diameter of nodules that ranged from 15 to 20 mm, the C-TIRADS category <4C, and E max <52.5 kPa were independent predictors for Bethesda I thyroid nodules. Based on multiple logistic regression, a predictive model was established: Logit (p) = -3.491 + 1.630 × maximum diameter + 1.719 × C-TIRADS category + 1.046 × E max (kPa). The AUC of the model was 0.769 (95% CI: 0.700-0.838), which was significantly higher than that of the independent predictors alone. Conclusion: We developed a predictive model for predicting Bethesda I thyroid nodules. It might be beneficial to the clinical optimization of FNA strategy in advance and to improve the accurate diagnostic rate of the first FNA, reducing repeated FNA.

Development of machine learning models to predict papillary carcinoma in thyroid nodules: The role of immunological, radiologic, cytologic and radiomic features.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 30 % of thyroid nodules yield an indeterminate diagnosis through conventional diagnostic strategies. The aim of this study was to develop machine learning (ML) models capable of identifying papillary thyroid carcinomas using preoperative variables. METHODS: Patients with thyroid nodules undergoing thyroid surgery were enrolled in a retrospective monocentric study. Six 2-class supervised ML models were developed to predict papillary thyroid carcinoma, by sequentially incorporating clinical-immunological, ultrasonographic, cytological, and radiomic variables. RESULTS: Out of 186 patients, 92 nodules (49.5 %) were papillary thyroid carcinomas in the histological report. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) ranged from 0.41 to 0.61 using only clinical-immunological variables. All ML models exhibited an increased performance when ultrasound variables were included (AUC: 0.95-0.97). The addition of cytological (AUC: 0.86-0.97) and radiomic (AUC: 0.88-0.97) variables did not further improve ML models' performance. CONCLUSION: ML algorithms demonstrated low accuracy when trained with clinical-immunological data. However, the inclusion of radiological data significantly improved the models' performance, while cytopathological and radiomics data did not further improve the accuracy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

Real-time ultrasound elastography in the diagnosis of newly identified thyroid nodules in adults: the ElaTION RCT.

Background: Strain and shear wave elastography which is commonly used with concurrent real-time imaging known as real-time ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography is a new diagnostic technique that has been reported to be useful in the diagnosis of nodules in several organs. There is conflicting evidence regarding its benefit over ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology alone in thyroid nodules. Objectives: To determine if ultrasound strain and shear wave elastography in conjunction with fine-needle aspiration cytology will reduce the number of patients who have a non-diagnostic first fine-needle aspiration cytology results as compared to conventional ultrasound-only guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. Design: A pragmatic, unblinded, multicentre randomised controlled trial. Setting: Eighteen centres with a radiology department across England. Participants: Adults who had not undergone previous fine-needle aspiration cytology with single or multiple nodules undergoing investigation. Interventions: Ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography-ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (intervention arm) - strain or shear wave elastography-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. Ultrasound-only guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (control arm) - routine ultrasound-only guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (the current standard recommended by the British Thyroid Association guidelines). Main outcome measure: The proportion of patients who have a non-diagnostic cytology (Thy 1) result following the first fine-needle aspiration cytology. Randomisation: Patients were randomised at a 1 : 1 ratio to the interventional or control arms. Results: A total of 982 participants (80% female) were randomised: 493 were randomised to ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography-ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration cytology and 489 were randomised to ultrasound-only guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. There was no evidence of a difference between ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography and ultrasound in non-diagnostic cytology (Thy 1) rate following the first fine-needle aspiration cytology (19% vs. 16% respectively; risk difference: 0.030; 95% confidence interval -0.007 to 0.066; p = 0.11), the number of fine-needle aspiration cytologies needed (odds ratio: 1.10; 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.49; p = 0.53) or in the time to reach a definitive diagnosis (hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.10; p = 0.45). There was a small, non-significant reduction in the number of thyroid operations undertaken when ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography was used (37% vs. 40% respectively; risk difference: -0.02; 95% confidence interval -0.06 to 0.009; p = 0.15), but no difference in the number of operations yielding benign histology - 23% versus 24% respectively, p = 0.70 (i.e. no increase in identification of malignant cases) - or in the number of serious adverse events (2% vs. 1%). There was no difference in anxiety and depression, pain or quality of life between the two arms. Limitations: The study was not powered to detect differences in malignancy. Conclusions: Ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography does not appear to have additional benefit over ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Future work: The findings of the ElaTION trial suggest that further research into the use of shear wave elastography in the diagnostic setting of thyroid nodules is unlikely to be warranted unless there are improvements in the technology. The diagnostic difficulty in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions still persists. Future studies might examine the role of genomic testing on fine-needle aspiration samples. There is growing use of targeted panels of molecular markers, particularly aimed at improving the diagnostic accuracy of indeterminate (i.e. Thy3) cytology results. The application of these tests is not uniform, and their cost effectiveness has not been assessed in large-scale trials. Study registration: This study is registered as ISRCTN (ISRCTN18261857). Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 12/19/04) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 46. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

About half the population will have lumps in their thyroid if examined by an ultrasound scan but may not know they have one. About one in twenty people will feel a thyroid lump in their neck at some time in their life, with about one in twenty of those being malignant. Currently, the recommended way of getting a diagnosis of thyroid nodules is by using ultrasound to guide a needle to get cells from the lump, called ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. These cells are examined to determine the cause of the lump. If there are enough cells, Doctors can then make a diagnosis of whether the lump is benign or malignant. If not, patients will undergo another ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. One in five ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytologies are non-diagnostic with an overall false-positive rate of approximately 24%. This means one in five patients, with benign disease, may undergo unnecessary diagnostic operations. Thyroid surgery carries risks of complications, which could be avoided if we had better ways to diagnose which patients actually need an operation. We conducted a randomised trial, ElaTION, to determine if a new technology called strain and shear wave elastography, commonly known as real-time elastography, would be better at helping the radiologist take a sufficient sample of cells and reduce the number of non-diagnostic results, reducing the number of fine-needle aspiration cytologies required to make a definitive diagnosis. Nine hundred eighty-two patients were recruited between 2015 and 2018 and followed up until the end of the trial. Patients were randomised into two groups: 489 patients received the standard ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology alone, and 493 patients received ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology + shear wave elastography. Ultrasound shear/strain wave elastography did not reduce non-diagnostic cytology at first fine-needle aspiration cytology or improve the likelihood of determining whether the lump is benign or malignant. The results of ElaTION do not support the use of shear wave elastography-fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Next generation sequence-based targeted somatic mutation analysis in thyroid nodules with pathologically diagnosed as indeterminate cytology.

PURPOSE: The management of indeterminate thyroid nodules remains a topic of ongoing debate, particularly regarding the differentiation of malignancy. Somatic mutation analysis offers crucial insights into tumor characteristics. This study aimed to assist the clinical management of indeterminate nodules with somatic mutation analysis. METHODS: Aspiration samples from 20 indeterminate thyroid nodules were included in the study. A next-generation sequencing panel containing 67 genes was used for molecular profiling. The results were compared with pathology data from surgical material, which is considered the gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. RESULTS: Variants in six genes (NRAS, BRAF, TP53, TERT, PTEN, PIK3CA) were detected in 10 out of 20 samples. We identified nine Tier 1 or 2 variants in 10 (67 %) out of 15 malignant nodules (NRAS, BRAF, TP53, TERT, PTEN, PIK3CA) and one Tier 2 (PIK3CA) variant in one out of five benign nodules. The study demonstrated an NPV of 40 %, a PPV of 90 %, a specificity of 80 %, and a sensitivity of 60 %. CONCLUSION: Based on the detected molecular markers, at least nine patients (45 %) could be managed correctly without needing a repeat FNAB attempt. This study underscores the clinical practicality of molecular tests in managing nodules with indeterminate cytology. Additionally, this study emphasizes the importance of considering the patient's age when determining the DNA- or RNA-based genetic testing method. Finally, we discussed the significance of the somatic mutation profile and its impact on the current pathological classification.

Cervical plexus block enhanced pain control for unilateral thermal ablation of thyroid nodules.

Background: Despite being minimally invasive, thermal ablation (TA) of thyroid nodules may still cause significant pain during and shortly afterwards. Conventional analgesia relies on perithyroidal local anesthesia (PLA) with or without sedation. The use of cervical plexus block (CPB) has been extensively studied in thyroidectomy, but never studied in TA of the thyroid gland. This study examined whether adding ultrasound-guided CPB to PLA and sedation could further reduce post-operative pain in unilateral TA of thyroid nodules. Methods: Consecutive patients aged ≥18 years undergoing unilateral radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or microwave ablation (MWA) of thyroid nodules were reviewed. Group I patients did not receive CPB, and Group II patients received CPB by bupivacaine injection between the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and prevertebral fascia on the treatment side. Pain was charted immediately and 4 hours after ablation using a numeric rating scale (NRS) of 0-10. The Quality-of-Recovery-9 (QoR9) questionnaire was completed. Results: Over an 18-month period, 100 patients underwent unilateral thyroid ablation (Group I, n=50; Group II, n=50). Comparable baseline patient demographics, nodule characteristics, ablation parameters were noted (P>0.05). Significantly lower immediate NRS {1 [0-3] vs. 4 [1.3-6], P<0.001}, 4-hour NRS {1 [0-3] vs. 2 [0-4], P=0.04}, and more zero immediate NRS (44% vs. 14%, P=0.001) was observed in Group II. Total QoR9 scores were comparable {16 [12-17] vs. 15 [12-17], P=0.72}. No adverse events occurred. All patients were discharged within the same day. Conclusions: Adding ultrasound-guided CPB further enhanced pain control following unilateral TA of thyroid nodules, without compromising quality of recovery or same-day discharge.

Correlation between ultrasonographic and cytologic features of thyroid nodules: a single-center cross-sectional study.

A thyroid nodule is managed according to the clinical context, ultrasound (US) findings, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) results. Most thyroid nodules are benign; however, nodule classification is crucial to avoid unnecessary thyroid surgery. We conducted this study to compare the findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) expressed using the Bethesda system with the features of thyroid US classified using the EU-TIRADS classification to assess the risk of malignancy. A descriptive and analytical study involving 99 patients with thyroid nodules followed up in the Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition. Data were collected from medical records and analyzed using SPSS software V21. FNA was performed on 121 nodules using the BETHESDA system. These nodules were classified as malignant, suspicious for follicular neoplasm, and suspicious for malignancy in 5.8%, 5%, and 1.7% of cases, respectively. As for the EU-TIRADS 2017 classification, 59.5% of benign nodules were classified as EU-TIRADS III, whereas 66.7% of malignant nodules were classified as EU-TIRADS V and significantly related to malignant prediction (P = 0.000). The size of nodules was significantly correlated to the risk of malignancy (P = 0.013). Seventy-five percent of nodules with central vascularity were malignant (P = 0.012). Irregularity of nodule contours was significantly associated with the risk of malignancy, as 30% of nodules with irregular contours were Bethesda VI (P = 0.003). Hypoechogenicity was found in 77.8% of malignant nodules (P = 0.004). Additionally, only 9.2% of the nodules were taller than wide, of which 37.5% were malignant (P = 0.012). For a safe management strategy, US-guided FNAC should be performed on each suspicious thyroid nodule, given the correlation between EU-TIRADS classification features and the risk of malignancy.

Incidental Thyroid Nodules on Computed Tomography: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining Prevalence, Follow-Up, and Risk of Malignancy.

Background: The increased utilization of computed tomography (CT) has led to a higher detection rate of thyroid incidentalomas. Currently, there are no widely agreed-upon guidelines for managing these incidentalomas. This study aims to investigate the prevalence, follow-up practices, and malignancy rates of thyroid incidentalomas detected by CT. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases to identify relevant studies published before April 12, 2024 (PROSPERO #42024535501). Studies reporting on the prevalence, follow-up, and risk of malignancy (ROM) of thyroid incidentalomas detected by CT were included. Combined outcomes were analyzed using pooled proportion with a random-effects model. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on characteristics including size of the incidentaloma, CT area, and age of the study population. Results: Thirty-eight studies involving 195,959 patients were included in the prevalence analysis, revealing a prevalence of thyroid incidentalomas on CT of 8.3% (confidence interval [CI], 7.4-9.3). The prevalence was higher in neck CT (16.5%, CI, 11.0-22.1) compared with chest CT (6.6%, CI, 5.3-7.9). Multiple incidentalomas were found in 27.0% (CI, 12.9-41.1) of patients. Of the nodules, 46.3% (CI, 32.3-60.3) were ≥1 cm, and 28.6% (CI, 19.9-37.3) were ≥1.5 cm. Thyroid ultrasounds, biopsies, and surgeries were performed in 34.9% (CI, 26.1-43.7), 28.4% (CI, 19.9-36.9), and 8.2% (CI, 2.1-14.4) of cases, respectively. Additionally, 25 studies with 6272 patients reported a ROM of 3.9% (CI, 3.0-4.9) for thyroid incidentalomas detected on CT. A higher ROM was observed in incidentalomas ≥1 cm (11.7%, CI, 3.9-19.4) and ≥1.5 cm (24.9%, CI, 0-52.7) compared with those <1 cm (0.1%, CI, 0-0.8) and <1.5 cm (0%, CI, 0-0.2). Conclusions: Most thyroid incidentalomas identified on CT are benign. Implementing a collaborative protocol between radiologists and thyroid specialists to manage high-risk thyroid incidentalomas can ensure appropriate follow-up and optimal patient care.

Investigating the optimal maximum diameter of benign thyroid nodules for thermal ablation on the basis of complete disappearance rate.

OBJECTIVE: Thermal ablation (TA) is a safe and effective treatment for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). However, there has been no consensus on the optimal maximum diameter (MD) of BTNs for TA. This study aimed to identify the optimal MD of BTNs for TA based on complete disappearance rate after TA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 639 BTNs treated with TA from June 2014 to January 2022. The complete disappearance rate of BTNs after TA was summarized, related influencing factors were explored, and the optimal MD of BTNs for TA was identified. RESULTS: At the final follow-up (median: 40 months, range: 24-95 months), the overall volume reduction rate was 95.4 ± 9.0%, and 50.5% of the BTNs (323/639) completely disappeared. The MD was significantly negatively correlated with complete disappearance (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.87-0.92; p < 0.001). Calcification, comet-tail artifacts, multilocular cysts, and composition of BTNs, as well as diabetes were negatively correlated with complete disappearance. Restricted cubic spline indicated that an MD of 25.0 mm was the optimal threshold of BTNs for TA, which was confirmed by subgroup logistic regression analysis. Compared with BTNs with MD ≤ 25.0 mm, those with MD > 25.0 mm had a greater complication rate (6.5% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The MD of BTNs was negatively correlated with complete disappearance after TA; an MD > 25.0 mm indicated a reduced likelihood of complete disappearance compared with an MD ≤ 25.0 mm. An MD of 25.0 mm is an appropriate threshold of BTNs for TA on the basis of complete disappearance rate.

Cold Agglutinin Disease: A Rare Paraneoplastic Manifestation of a Thyroid Malignancy.

A paraneoplastic syndrome is the presence of signs and symptoms due to cancer, but it is not a consequence of the mass effect of a tumour. It typically occurs in middle-aged to older patients with solid tumors (lung, breast, and ovaries), and hematological malignancies (leukemia and lymphoma). Autoimmune hemolytic anaemia is also a well-defined paraneoplastic phenomenon in lymphoproliferative disorders and rare solid tumour malignancies such as renal cell carcinoma, ovarian dermoid cysts, thymus cell cancer, Kaposi sarcoma, and cancers of the breast, pancreas, thyroid, and prostate. Most of the time, it is warm and is rarely cold type. We present a case of cold-type autoimmune hemolytic anaemia, presented as paraneoplastic manifestations of a thyroid malignancy.

Exploring the potential of myo-inositol in thyroid disease management: focus on thyroid cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a malignancy that is increasing in prevalence on a global scale, necessitating the development of innovative approaches for both diagnosis and treatment. Myo-inositol (MI) plays a crucial role in a wide range of physiological and pathological functions within human cells. To date, studies have investigated the function of MI in thyroid physiology as well as its potential therapeutic benefits for hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis. However, research in the field of TC is very restricted. Metabolomics studies have highlighted the promising diagnostic capabilities of MI, recognizing it as a metabolic biomarker for identifying thyroid tumors. Furthermore, MI can influence therapeutic characteristics by modulating key cellular pathways involved in TC. This review evaluates the potential application of MI as a naturally occurring compound in the management of thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, and especially TC. The limited number of studies conducted in the field of TC emphasizes the critical need for future research to comprehend the multifaceted role of MI in TC. A significant amount of research and clinical trials is necessary to understand the role of MI in the pathology of TC, its diagnostic and therapeutic potential, and to pave the way for personalized medicine strategies in managing this intricate disease.