J Korean Surg Soc.  1999 Jul;57(1):18-21.

Test Performances of Three Diagnostic Procedures in Evaluating Thyroid Nodules: Physical Examination, Ultrasonography and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

• Park BJ
• Kang SS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was performed to determine the reliability of physical examination (P/E), ultrasonography (U/S), and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. This retrospective study was designed to disclose test performances and diagnostic implications of those three procedures carried out at Samsung Cheil Hospital from Mar. 1996 to Oct. 1998.
METHODS
We reviewed the cases of 73 euthyroid patients who had had all three diagnostic procedures preoperatively and who had undergone surgery for thyroid nodules. The patients consisted of 16 with benign lesions and 57 with thyroid cancers.
RESULTS
The sensitivities of P/E, U/S, and FNAC for malignancy were 66.7%, 61.4%, and 77.2%, respectively. The specificities of P/E, U/S, and FNAC for malignancy were 81.3%, 87.5%, and 93.8%, respectively. When all the test results were positive, the likelihood ratio favoring a thyroid carcinoma was 219.1. When all the test results were negative, the likelihood ratio favoring a thyroid carcinoma was 0.04.
CONCLUSIONS
As we have no test that always provides a perfect answer, a combination of these test results seemed to be useful in the decision making.

Keyword

Thyroid nodules; Sensitivity and specificity; Physical examination; Ultrasonography; Fine needle aspiration cytology

MeSH Terms

Biopsy, Fine-Needle*
Decision Making
Humans
Physical Examination*
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroid Nodule*
Ultrasonography*