Evaluation of ultrasonographical and cytological features of thyroid nodules in patients treated with radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to evaluate ultrasonographical and cytological features of thyroid nodules in patients who were treated with radioactive iodine (RAI) for hyperthyroidism years ago. METHODS: Patients who had a history of RAI treatment for hyperthyroidism and had thyroid nodules that were evaluated with fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included in the study. RESULTS: There were 27 patients (22 female and 5 male) with a mean age of 59.3 ± 13.5. The indication for RAI treatment was Graves in 5 (18.6%), toxic nodular or multinodular goiter in 16 (69.2%), and unknown in 6 (22.2%) patients. A total of 48 thyroid nodules were evaluated with FNAB and cytological diagnosis were benign in 24 (50.0%), nondiagnostic in 15 (31.2%), atypia of undetermined significance in 5 (10.4%), suspicous for malignancy in 2 (4.2%), and malignant in 2 (4.2%) nodules. Thyroidectomy was performed in 10 patients, 5 were benign (50.0%), and 5 (50.0%) were malignant histopathologically. Ultrasonography features of 31 cytologically/histopathologically benign and five cytologically/histopathologically malignant nodules were compared. Prevalence of isoechoic nodules was higher in benign nodules (P = .025). Macrocalcification was observed in 4 (80.0%) of malignant and 10 (32.3%) of benign nodules (P = .042). CONCLUSION: In patients with a history of RAI treatment for hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules with suspicious ultrasonography features, particulary hypoechoic appearence and macrocalcification, should be evaluated with FNAB irrespective of the time elapsed after RAI treatment.

Are cytologic and histopathologic features of hot thyroid nodules different from cold thyroid nodules?

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare the cytology and histopathology results of hot, cold, and warm nodules in patients who had thyroidectomy due to toxic multinodular goiter (TMNG). METHODS: Five hundred and nine thyroid nodules from 413 patients who had operation with TMNG were included in this retrospective study. The nodules were categorized as hot, cold, and warm groups. The cytology and histopathology results were compared. RESULTS: The 509 thyroid nodules were grouped as hot (n = 364 [71.5%]), cold (n = 122 [24.0%]), and warm (n = 23 [4.5%]) according to scintigraphy. Cytological evaluations of 364 hot nodules were as follows: 80 (22%) nondiagnostic (ND), 259 (71.2%) benign, 17 (3.6%) atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/ FLUS), 2 (0.5%) follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), 2 (0.5%) suspicious for malignancy (SM), and 4 (1.1%) malignant. The cytology of 122 cold nodules were ND in 25 (20.5%), benign in 86 (70.5%), AUS/FLUS in 8 (6.6%), FN/SFN in 1 (0.8%), and finally SM in 2 (1.6%). The 23 warm nodules were determined as ND, benign, and FN/SFN in 7 (30.4%), 15 (65.2%) and 1 (4.3%), respectively. There were no differences according to cytological results between groups (P = .616). However, malignancy rate was 3.8% in hot nodules, it was found as 6.6% in cold nodules. The malignancy was detected in 4.3% of warm nodules. There were no differences in malignancy rates between groups (P = .459). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated similar malignancy rates in hot nodules when compared with cold and warm nodules.