The Relationship Between The Number of Slides and The Diagnosis in Thyroid Fine Needle Aspirations

Abstract

Objective: The first method used in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules is the Bethesda system, which is the most widely used system to evaluate aspiration. The adequacy of aspiration applied to symptomatic and asymptomatic nodules is important for appropriate follow-up and treatment of the patient. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the number of slides prepared from thyroid nodules and nodules sampled at the same time, and diagnostic efficiency. Material and Methods: 5092 aspirations from 3747 cases were included in the study. The age and gender of the cases, the diameter of the nodules, the number of preparations, the number of nodules and the diagnosis of all nodules were noted. The number of preparations and the number of sampled nodules were categorized and their relationship with the diagnosis was examined. All data were analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the aspirations, 3929 (77.2%) were female and 1163 (22.8%) were male patients, and the mean age was 52.3 (11-93 years). The diagnostic rate of aspirations examined with a single preparation was lower than multiple preparations (p=0.001). Suspicious group and malignant diagnoses were higher in those who were examined with multiple preparations, and the rate of benign diagnosis was higher in those who were examined with a single preparation (p=0.013). Considering the diagnostic categories, while benign diagnoses were more common in aspirations from multiple nodules, suspicious and malignant diagnoses were more common in single nodule aspirations. Conclusion: Ultrasonographic features of the nodule and the accuracy of the procedure directly affect the diagnosis. It has been concluded that aspiration from several areas of the nodule and the preparation of aspirations with two or more preparations compared to a single preparation are important both to increase the diagnosis and to increase the probability of suspicious and malignant diagnosis.