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Review
. 2019 Sep 23;10(10):736.
doi: 10.3390/genes10100736.

The Role of Molecular Testing for the Indeterminate Thyroid FNA

Esther Diana Rossi  1 , Liron Pantanowitz  2 , William C Faquin  3
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Molecular Testing for the Indeterminate Thyroid FNA

Esther Diana Rossi et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

Thyroid nodules are common in the adult population where a majority are benign and only 4.0% to 6.5% are malignant. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a key method used in the early stages to evaluate and triage patients with thyroid nodules. While a definitive cytological diagnosis is provided in more than 70-75% of all thyroid FNA cases, the group of indeterminate lesions offers a challenge in terms of interpretation and clinical management. Molecular testing platforms have been developed, are recognized as an option by the 2015 American Thyroid Association Guidelines, and are frequently used in conjunction with FNA as an integral part of the cytologic evaluation. In this review, the utility of molecular testing options for nodules assigned to the group of indeterminate thyroid FNAs is described.

Keywords: cytology; fine needle aspiration; molecular testing; personalized medicine; thyroid cancers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) FNA of a thyroid nodule classified as AUS/FLUS (Papanicolaou stain). Afirma testing was Suspicious. (B) Corresponding histology showed an encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (H&E stain).
Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) FNA of a thyroid nodule classified as AUS/FLUS (Papanicolaou stain). Afirma testing was Suspicious. (B) Corresponding histology showed an encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (H&E stain).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) FNA of a thyroid nodule classified as FN/SFN (Papanicolaou stain). ThyroSeq v3 testing showed an H-RAS mutation. (B) Corresponding histology showed a follicular adenoma (H&E stain).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) FNA of a thyroid nodule classified as FN/SFN (Papanicolaou stain). ThyroSeq v3 testing showed an H-RAS mutation. (B) Corresponding histology showed a follicular adenoma (H&E stain).
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) FNA of a thyroid nodule classified as AUS/FLUS (Papanicolaou stain). Afirma testing was Suspicious. (B) Histology revealed NIFTP (H&E stain).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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