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. 1997 Oct;72(10):913-6.
doi: 10.1016/S0025-6196(11)63360-0.

Factors that predict malignant thyroid lesions when fine-needle aspiration is "suspicious for follicular neoplasm"

R T Schlinkert  1 , J A van Heerden, J R Goellner, H Gharib, S L Smith, R F Rosales, A L Weaver
Affiliations

Factors that predict malignant thyroid lesions when fine-needle aspiration is "suspicious for follicular neoplasm"

R T Schlinkert et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 1997 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To assess clinical factors that may improve the ability to predict the presence of a malignant lesion in thyroid nodules that are found to be "suspicious for follicular neoplasm" by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology.

Material and methods: We undertook a retrospective review of the medical records of all patients at the three Mayo Clinic facilities who underwent a thyroid surgical procedure between January 1992 and December 1994 and had a preoperative FNA report of "suspicious for follicular neoplasm." Patient and nodule characteristics were analyzed statistically for associations with the presence of cancer.

Results: The study cohort consisted of 219 patients with a mean age of 54.3 years. Eighty-four percent of resections were done for benign disease. Of the 35 malignant lesions, 9 were incidental papillary cancers separate from the primary nodule; thus, only 26 cancers were found in the index nodule, and only 19 (9% of the total group) were follicular carcinomas. Clinical findings associated with a malignant index nodule were larger diameter, fixation of the mass, and younger age of the patient.

Conclusion: Clinical characteristics may be used for more accurate assessment of the risk of the presence of a malignant lesion when FNA cytology of a thyroid nodule is reported as "suspicious for follicular neoplasm."

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