Affiliations: [a] Department of Interventional Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| [b] Department of Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| [c] Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| [d] Department of Radiology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, Guangdong, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Yu-Xia Zhai, Department of Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China. E-mail: sdfecsyxk@126.com.
Note: [1] Zhe Chen and Zhong-Xian Qiu contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:The inadequacy samples caused by the internal characteristic structure of thyroid nodules are difficult to be solved. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the ultrasound features affecting the sample adequacy after fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules with different risk stratification. METHODS:592 thyroid nodules that underwent ultrasound-guided FNA were included in this retrospective study. The sample obtained by FNA were classified as inadequacy and adequacy according to the cytopathological results. Ultrasound features (ie., size, position, cystic predominance, composition, echo, shape, margin, and superficial annular calcification status) of the nodules were recorded and compared between the inadequacy sample group and adequacy sample group. RESULTS:Multiple logistic regression shows that preponderant cystic proportion (OR, 0.384; P = 0.041), extremely hypoechogenicity and hypoechogenicity (OR, 6.349; P = 0.006) were the independent influencing factors of inadequate samples after FNA in benign expected nodules. In addition, nodule size ≤10 mm (OR, 1.960; P = 0.010) and superficially annular calcification (OR, 4.600; P < 0.001) were independent influencing factors for inadequate samples after FNA in malignant expected nodules. CONCLUSION:The ultrasound features of hypoechogenicity or high cystic proportion in benign expected nodules and that of small size or annular calcification in malignant expected nodules were the risk factors for inadequacy samples by US-guided FNA.
