Subclassification of the “Grey Zone” of Thyroid Cytology; A Retrospective Descriptive Study with Clinical, Cytological, and Histological Correlation
Table 2
Clinical, biochemical, and echographic features of 130 thyroid nodules with histological (81 cases) or benign repeated cytology with clinical-echographic followup (49 cases).
Carcinoma
Adenoma
Nodular hyperplasia/thyroiditis
22
16.9%
33
25.4%
75
57.7%
Clinical and biochemical features
Age (years)
Range 25–75
Range 18–81
Range 27–72
Median 53
Median 49
Median 51
Female
18
80.8%
26
78.8%
68
90.7%
Male
4
19.2%
7
21.2%
7
9.3%
AbHTG and/or AbTPO
7
31.8%
4
12.1%
27
36.0%
Hypothyroidism
1
4.5%
—
—
3
4.0%
Hyperthyroidism
1
4.5%
1
3.0%
2
2.7%
Single nodule
8
36.4%
25
75.8%
24
32.0%
Unknown
—
1
3.0%
3
4.0%
Diameter (mm)
Range 6–48
Range 7–54
Range 8–50
Median 18
Median 23
Median 15
Palpable
14
63.6%
22
66.7%
35
46.7%
Echographic features
Solid
20
90.9%
26
78.8%
54
72.0%
Hypoechoic
14
70.0%
20
76.9%
37
68.5%
Hyperechoic
2
10%
1
3.8%
10
18.5%
Isoechoic
4
20%
5
19.2%
7
13.0%
Microcalcifications
5
25%
5
19.2%
3
5.6%
Vascular flow
4
20%
14
53.8
11
20.4%
Irregular margins
3
15%
2
7.7%
3
5.6%
Unknown
—
2
6.1%
3
4.0%
Mixed
2
9.1%
5
15.1%
16
21.3%
Cystic
—
—
—
—
2
2.7%
Cytologic category
AUS
19
86.4%
9
27.3%
65
86.7%
FL
3
13.6%
24
72.7%
10
13.3%
AUS: atypia of undetermined significance; FL: follicular lesion.
