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. 2009 Mar-Apr;10(2):106-11.
doi: 10.3348/kjr.2009.10.2.106. Epub 2009 Mar 3.

Diagnostic benefit of thyroglobulin measurement in fine-needle aspiration for diagnosing metastatic cervical lymph nodes from papillary thyroid cancer: correlations with US features

Se Jeong Jeon  1 , Eunhee Kim, Jeong Seon Park, Kyu Ri Son, Jung Hwan Baek, Yoon Suk Kim, Do Joon Park, Bo Youn Cho, Dong Gyu Na
Affiliations

Diagnostic benefit of thyroglobulin measurement in fine-needle aspiration for diagnosing metastatic cervical lymph nodes from papillary thyroid cancer: correlations with US features

Se Jeong Jeon et al. Korean J Radiol. 2009 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Our goals were to determine the added value of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB)-thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements over FNAB-cytology alone for diagnosing metastatic nodes, and to determine whether the ultrasound features of lymph nodes can be used to identify lymph nodes that may benefit from FNAB-Tg measurement in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 76 surgically proven cervical lymph nodes. Twenty-nine patients were awaiting surgery and 18 patients had undergone thyroid surgery for papillary thyroid cancer. Ultrasound-guided FNAB and Tg measurements were performed and the ultrasound features were evaluated.

Results: The accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities of FNAB-cytology, FNAB-Tg, and combined FNAB-Tg/cytology were 90%, 80%, and 100%; 92%, 95%, and 90%; and 93%, 96%, and 90%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of FNAB-Tg for metastatic nodes was significantly higher than that of FNAB-cytology (p = 0.011). Furthermore, combined FNAB-Tg/cytology significantly increased sensitivity (p = 0.002) and accuracy (p = 0.03) as compared with FNAB-cytology.

Conclusion: Combined FNAB-Tg/cytology is significantly more sensitive and accurate at detecting metastatic nodes than FNAB-cytology alone. FNAB-Tg was better at diagnosing metastases in small lymph nodes.

Keywords: Fine needle aspiration; Lymph node metastasis; Papillary thyroid cancer; Thyroglobulin; Ultrasound (US).

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Fig. 1
Fig. 1
52-year-old man with recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma.
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