Evaluation of Ultrasound Characteristics and Serum TSH Level in Predicting Malignancy among Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy with FNAC-proven Diagnosis of Multinodular Goiter and Follicular Neoplasia: A Prospective Observational Study
Channa VK Rao, Vijayendra Kedage, Bharath S Veerabhadrappa, Rajgopal S Kallya
Keywords :
Multinodular goiter, Follicular neoplasia, Fine needle aspiration cytology, Thyroid stimulating hormone level, Ultrasound of thyroid, Predictors of thyroid malignancy
Citation Information :
Rao CV, Kedage V, Veerabhadrappa BS, Kallya RS. Evaluation of Ultrasound Characteristics and Serum TSH Level in Predicting Malignancy among Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy with FNAC-proven Diagnosis of Multinodular Goiter and Follicular Neoplasia: A Prospective Observational Study. World J Endoc Surg 2023; 15 (3):59-62.
Background: Thyroid nodules are one of the most common diseases encountered in surgical practice. Predicting malignancy in patients with multinodular goiters (MNGs) becomes difficult due to the presence of multiple nodules. Targeting the nodule which might be malignant is of utmost importance. The task becomes difficult due to the presence of many different ultrasound scoring systems. This study aims to evaluate ultrasound characteristics and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy in patients with benign goiters and follicular neoplasia.
Materials and methods: Our study was a prospective observational study that was conducted between April 2021 and September 2022. Patients aged 18 years and above with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) suggestive of MNGs and follicular neoplasia were included in the study. Analysis of the variables was done by using statistical analysis in a social science application.
Results: The final analysis was conducted on 106 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Ultrasound of the thyroid detected microcalcifications in 8.5% of patients, hypervascularity in 33%, solid components in 40.6%, and hypoechoic areas in 47.2% of the patients. The study showed that a TSH value of greater than 1.88 mIU/mL and solid components in ultrasonograph (USG) have high sensitivity and specificity in predicting malignancy.
Conclusion: This study shows that ultrasound characteristics of microcalcifications, hypervascularity, solid component, and TSH level greater than 1.88 mIU/mL are statistically significant and can be fairly used for predicting malignancy in benign goiter and follicular neoplasia. The presence of these features may warrant a surgical excision to confirm the diagnosis, even if the FNAC is reported as benign.
Unnikrishnan AG, Kalra S, Baruah M, et al. Endocrine Society of India management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules: a position statement. Indian J Endocrinol Metab 2011;15(1):2–8. DOI: 10.4103/2230-8210.77566
Kwak JY, Han KH, Yoon JH, et al. Thyroid imaging reporting and data system for US features of nodules: a step in establishing better stratification of cancer risk. Radiology 2011;260(3):892–899. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.11110206
Papini E, Guglielmi R, Bianchini A, et al. Risk of malignancy in nonpalpable thyroid nodules: predictive value of ultrasound and color-Doppler features. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002;87(5):1941–1946. DOI: 10.1210/jcem.87.5.8504
Mahajan A, Vaidya T, Vaish R, et al. The journey of ultrasound-based thyroid nodule risk stratification scoring systems: do all roads lead to Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TIRADS)? J Head Neck Phys Surg 2017;5(2):57–65. DOI: 10.4103/jhnps.jhnps_40_17
Tessler FN, Middleton WD, Grant EG, et al. ACR Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS): white paper of the ACR TI-RADS committee. J Am Coll Radiol 2017;14(5):587–595. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2017.01.046
Singh Ospina N, Brito JP, Maraka S, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy for thyroid malignancy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Endocrine 2016;53(3):651–661. DOI: 10.1007/s12020-016-0921-x
Pompili GG, Tresoldi S, Ravelli A, et al. Use of the ultrasound-based total malignancy score in the management of thyroid nodules. Ultrasonography 2018;37(4):315–322. DOI: 10.14366/usg.17063
Rios A, Torregrosa B, Rodríguez JM, et al. Ultrasonographic risk factors of malignancy in thyroid nodules. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2016;401(6):839–849. DOI: 10.1007/s00423-016-1451-y
Chakravarthy NS, Chandramohan A, Prabhu AJ, et al. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology along with clinical and radiological features in predicting thyroid malignancy in nodules ≥1 cm. Indian J Endocrinol Metab 2018;22(5):597–604. DOI: 10.4103/ijem.IJEM_1_18
Yang GCH, Fried KO. Most thyroid cancers detected by sonography lack intranodular vascularity on color doppler imaging: review of the literature and sonographic-pathologic correlations for 698 thyroid neoplasms. J Ultrasound Med 2017;36(1):89–94. DOI: 10.7863/ultra.16.03043
Yoon JH, Kim EK, Son EJ, et al. Diffuse microcalcifications only of the thyroid gland seen on ultrasound: clinical implication and diagnostic approach. Ann Surg Oncol 2011;18(10):2899–2906. DOI: 10.1245/s10434-011-1717-0