Relationship of age and gender with cytopathological findings of thyroid nodules diagnosed by FNAC: a retrospective study

Abstract

In Afghanistan, there are no reliable epidemiological data available about thyroid cytopathology and its possible relationship with the age and gender of patients. Therefore, we conducted this study to outline this relationship and the importance of fine needle aspiration cytology in this regard. A retrospective review study was conducted including 686 consecutive medical records of thyroid nodules diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology in a span of five years. Out of 686 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules included in this study, 566 were females and 120 were males. Most of the thyroid nodules diagnosed were benign lesions with female predominance. These nodules were commonly arising in between 3rd and 6th decades of life in both the genders with mean age of 42 ± 13 years in females and 52 ± 15 years in males. Thyroid malignancy was commonly diagnosed in middle-age females, however in males, it was frequently diagnosed in older age with a peak at 7th decade. Most of the malignant nodules were solid and complex with no purely cystic nature. In both the genders, thyroid nodules were commonly arising in the right thyroid lobe (52.3%), followed by left (35.7%), isthmus (8.7%) and bilateral (3.2%). Fine needle aspiration cytology remains the modality of choice for the diagnostic evaluation of nodular lesions of thyroid. In contrast to the data reported around the world, thyroid malignancies, in our study, were diagnosed in relatively older age groups with peak incidence in the 5th decade of life for females and 7th decade for males.

Keywords: Age; Cytopathology; Gender; Malignancy; Thyroid nodules.