Application Value Of Fine-needle Aspiration Cytology In The Diagnosis Of Different Size Of Thyroid Nodules

Objective:To evaluate the association of the size of thyroid nodules and accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology in diagnose of thyroid nodules.Methods:691thyroid nodules in630patients pathologically confirmed were retrospectively analyzed in our hospital. All imaging data of preoperative ultrasound-guided FNAC were collected in our review. Yields of FNAC were divided into six levels according to the classification criteria of the Bethesda system (level Ⅰ,insufficient material or nondiagnosed;level II, benign;level Ⅲ, atypical hyperplasia;level VI,follicular neoplasm;level Ⅴ, suspicious for malignancy;level VI,malignant),>level IV was the malignant cytologic criteria for diagnosis of thyroid nodules. According to the maximal diameter of thyroid nodules,the nodules were divided into group A(L<0.5cm),group B(0.5cm<L<1. Ocm) and group C(L≥1.0cm).Postoperative pathologic results were taken as the gold standard.Results:Of691nodules,there were176(25.47%),298(43.13%) and217(31.40%) in group A, group B and group C respectively.Among the three groups,accuracy of ultrasound-guided FNAC in group B(90.94%) was higher than in group A(80.11%) and group C(83.41%),with statistically significant(P<0.05).There was not statistically different between group A and group C(P>0.05). The specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were not statistically different among three groups(P>0.05). Conclusion:The size of thyroid nodules was partly associated with accuracy of ultrasound-guided FNAC.