Rendimiento diagnóstico de los hallazgos ecográficos de los nódulos tiroideos en la detección de lesiones malignas / Diagnostic efficiency of sonographic findings of thyroid nodules in the detection of malignancy

Objetivo Evaluar el rendimiento diagnóstico de los hallazgos ecográficos (tamaño nodular, existencia de microcalcificaciones y ecogenicidad) en relación con el resultado de las citologías tiroideas obtenidas por punción aspiración con aguja fina. Metodología Fueron analizados los resultados de las citologías y las características ecográficas de 341 nódulos tiroideos. Resultados El 25,5% de las citologías fueron insuficientes, el 65,1% benignas y el 7,9% sospechosas y malignas. El porcentaje de muestras insuficientes fue claramente mayor en los nódulos menores de 15mm, pero también fue mayor el de citologías malignas entre este grupo de menor tamaño (11,1 frente al 2,8%; p=0,04). Entre los menores de 10mm, el porcentaje de muestras insuficientes se elevó hasta el 66,7% y no se detectó ninguna maligna. Destacó la ausencia de citologías sospechosas o malignas en los nódulos hiperecoicos y los anecoicos. La hipoecogenicidad fue, por el contrario, el rasgo de ecogenicidad que se asoció más frecuentemente con malignidad. Aunque la ecogenicidad en su conjunto no se asoció significativamente con la malignidad (p=0,313). La mayoría (6 de 10) de los casos con microcalcificaciones tuvo diagnóstico de malignidad frente a 4 de los 239 casos (1,7%) sin calcificaciones (p<0,001). En un modelo multivariante de regresión logística, la única variable que retuvo la significación estadística en su relación con la malignidad de la citología fue la presencia de microcalcificaciones. Conclusiones La citología tiroidea es un método eficaz para evaluar los nódulos tiroideos mayores de 10mm. La presencia de microcalcificaciones intranodulares se asocia significativamente con malignidad, mientras que la hiperecogenicidad y la anecogenicidad lo hacen con benignidad (AU)

Objetive To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of sonographic findings (nodule size, the presence of microcalcifications and echogenicity) compared with the results of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules. Methods The results of cytology and the ultrasound characteristics of 341 thyroid nodules were analyzed. Results A total of 25.5% of the FNAB were inadequate, 65.1% were benign and 7.9% were suspicious or malignant. The percentage of inadequate samples was clearly larger in nodules smaller that 15 mm but that of malignant cytologies was also larger in this group of nodules (11.1 versus 2.8%: p=0.04). The percentage of inadequate samples among nodules smaller than 10 mm was 66.7% and no malignancies were detected. A notable finding was the absence of suspicious or malignant FNAB in hyperechogenic and anechogenic nodules. In contrast, the echogenic feature most frequently associated with malignancy was hypoechogenicity, although echogenicity, as a whole, was not significantly associated with malignancy (p=0.313). Most cases with microcalcifications (6 of 10) were malignant compared with four of the 239 nodules (1.7%) without calcifications (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the only variable maintaining a significant association with malignancy was the presence of microcalcifications. Conclusions Thyroid cytology is an efficient method to evaluate thyroid nodules larger than 10mm. The presence of nodule microcalcifications is significantly associated with malignancy, while hyperechogenicity and anechogenicity are associated with benign nodules (AU)

[Diagnostic efficiency of sonographic findings of thyroid nodules in the detection of malignancy]. / Rendimiento diagnóstico de los hallazgos ecográficos de los nódulos tiroideos en la detección de lesiones malignas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of sonographic findings (nodule size, the presence of microcalcifications and echogenicity) compared with the results of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules. METHODS: The results of cytology and the ultrasound characteristics of 341 thyroid nodules were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 25.5% of the FNAB were inadequate, 65.1% were benign and 7.9% were suspicious or malignant. The percentage of inadequate samples was clearly larger in nodules smaller that 15 mm but that of malignant cytologies was also larger in this group of nodules (11.1 versus 2.8%: p=0.04). The percentage of inadequate samples among nodules smaller than 10 mm was 66.7% and no malignancies were detected. A notable finding was the absence of suspicious or malignant FNAB in hyperechogenic and anechogenic nodules. In contrast, the echogenic feature most frequently associated with malignancy was hypoechogenicity, although echogenicity, as a whole, was not significantly associated with malignancy (p=0.313). Most cases with microcalcifications (6 of 10) were malignant compared with four of the 239 nodules (1.7%) without calcifications (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the only variable maintaining a significant association with malignancy was the presence of microcalcifications. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid cytology is an efficient method to evaluate thyroid nodules larger than 10 mm. The presence of nodule microcalcifications is significantly associated with malignancy, while hyperechogenicity and anechogenicity are associated with benign nodules.