US-guided FNA techniques for thyroid nodules is the short axis better than the long axis?

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC US) has been proven to be an accurate and efficient tool in thyroid nodule evaluation. Thyroid nodule aspiration can be acquired with either of two techniques: the short axis, in which only the tip of the needle is observed, and the long axis, in which the entire length of the needle is observed. Our retrospective study aimed to compare the adequacy of the two techniques. METHODS: FNAC US was performed in 538 thyroid nodules between January 2019 and December 2021. Data on the technique and the diagnostic accuracy were collected. RESULTS: A total of 273 nodules were aspirated using the long axis technique, and 265 nodules were aspirated using the short axis technique. The diagnostic adequacies of the long axis technique were significantly higher than those of the short axis technique (92 % versus 86 %, respectively, p < 0.025). CONCLUSION: In our study, the long axis technique provided more accurate cytological evaluation than the short axis technique. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: level 3.