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Thyroid Fine-needle aspiration biopsy: an evaluation of its utility in a community setting

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, March 2015
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Title
Thyroid Fine-needle aspiration biopsy: an evaluation of its utility in a community setting
Published in
Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, March 2015
DOI 10.1186/s40463-015-0063-9
Pubmed ID
Authors

Andre R Le, Gregory W Thompson, Benjamin John A Hoyt

Abstract

Thyroid cancer rates are on the rise worldwide with over 5000 new cases estimated in Canada in 2012. The American Thyroid Association recommends the use of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) in the workup of thyroid nodules. Studies show that thyroid FNA accuracy may vary based on interpretation by cytopathologists in academic versus community centres. To date, there has been no literature published addressing the accuracy or utility of preoperative FNA in a Canadian community center. Our goals were to demonstrate the accuracy of thyroid FNA at our centre, and to compare our results to those published in the literature. Medical records for patients who underwent thyroidectomy performed by two otolaryngologists in Fredericton, NB, between September 2008 and February 2013 were reviewed. 125 patients with 197 FNAs were analyzed. Fisher's Exact test was used to compare the malignancy rates in each FNA category, and Chi-Square test was used for FNA distribution comparison. The distribution of all FNA diagnoses at our centre was as follows: 38 (19%) benign, 100 (51%) inconclusive, 8 (4%) suspicious for malignancy, 2 (1%) malignant, and 49 (25%) unsatisfactory. FNA distribution was significantly different between our centre and comparison centres (Chi-Square p < 0.05). Our malignancy rates within each category using each FNA sample as a data point were 26.3%, 29.0%, 75%, 100% and 12.2% respectively. Comparison to other community studies revealed that we have significantly higher malignancy rates with benign FNAs (Fisher's exact p = <0.05). Analysis using our most malignant FNA data yielded similar results. Thyroid FNA accuracy varies between institutions, and this may affect its utility in the workup of a thyroid nodule at some centres. Expert cytopathology opinions may be an asset in interpreting FNA samples in small community centres where volumes are relatively low, however our data do not support this assertion. It is essential that physicians continue to use clinical judgment first and foremost when evaluating thyroid nodules.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 23 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 23 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 4 17%
Student > Bachelor 4 17%
Researcher 2 9%
Student > Postgraduate 2 9%
Professor > Associate Professor 2 9%
Other 5 22%
Unknown 4 17%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 10 43%
Nursing and Health Professions 3 13%
Social Sciences 1 4%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 1 4%
Chemistry 1 4%
Other 1 4%
Unknown 6 26%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 19 April 2015.
All research outputs
#22,830,981
of 25,457,858 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
#509
of 629 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#235,788
of 274,586 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
#5
of 10 outputs
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