Ultrasound Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Thyroid Nodules: Does Radiologist Assistance Decrease the Rate of Unsatisfactory Biopsies?

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (UG-FNAB) is the main presurgical, minimally invasive, accurate and generally safe procedure for the diagnosis of thyroid pathology. At present it is recommended as a valuable diagnostic tool for the management of thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate if a radiologist's assistance in the UG-FNAB procedure decreased the rate of unsatisfactory biopsies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Over a 3-year period, 385 (100%) patients were enrolled to the study. All individuals had UG-FNAB performed for the first time due to multiple nodules of the thyroid gland. Patients with a family history of thyroid cancer, receiving radioactive iodine and other predispositions for thyroid malignancy were excluded. 184 (47.79%) patients were examined using UG-FNAB with a radiologist's assistance (group 1) and 201 (52.21%) without such support (group 2). All biopsies were performed by the same surgeon. All specimens obtained were examined by two cytologists experienced in thyroid pathology.

RESULTS

The specimens from the UG-FNAB were more frequently diagnostic when obtained from procedures performed with a radiologist's assistance (77.8% vs. 56.8%, p < 0.0001). The cellularity of the specimens obtained from the UG-FNAB performed with a radiologist's assistance was higher than those obtained without such support (66.7% vs. 56.9%, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

UG-FNAB of the thyroid nodules performed with a radiologist's assistance makes it possible to obtain more valuable specimens, which may improve diagnostic accuracy in the preoperative management of thyroid pathology.