Atypia of Undetermined Significance in Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: Pathological Evaluation and Risk Factors for Malignancy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION[|]This study was performed to analyze the surgical pathology results of thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology categorized as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS).[¤]METHODS[|]A retrospective analysis of 55 patients who underwent thyroid surgery between December 2007 and December 2013 as a result of a diagnosis of AUS cytology from FNA. Patient age and gender, site and size of the nodules, ultrasonographic findings, and final pathological results were analyzed.[¤]RESULTS[|]A total of 44 female patients and 11 male patients were included in this study. Among the 55 cases, 27 (49.1%) had final diagnosis of malignancy and 28 (50.9%) had benign lesions according to pathological evaluation. Both univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that only ultrasonographic finding of suspected malignancy was associated with malignant pathology.[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]The risk for malignancy should be determined in the initial stage and high-risk patients with cytology classified as AUS should be recommended for surgery. In this study, the patients had a high preoperative risk of malignancy; thus, our pathological results had a high rate of malignancy.[¤]

Keywords

• atypia of undetermined significance
• thyroid cancer
• thyroid fine-needle aspiration.