Annals of surgical treatment and research
Enhancing diagnostic accuracy with core needle biopsy and immunohistochemistry in indeterminate thyroid nodules: a retrospective diagnostic accuracy study
By Back K, Song RY, Kim HS and 1 others.
Abstract
Purpose
Accurate preoperative cancer diagnosis is important for establishing treatment strategies. Core needle biopsy (CNBx) has become the second diagnostic tool for previously indeterminate cytology by fine-needle aspiration (FNA), such as Bethesda III or IV, but uncertainty remains. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) can offer improved diagnostic accuracy by staining patterns of specific markers. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of CNBx combined with various IHC methods for indeterminate nodules.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 233 patients who underwent CNBx + IHC and were previously classified as Bethesda III/IV at FNA. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CNBx + 4 IHC markers were analyzed to assess the prediction of malignancy risk. Additionally, we performed IHC staining on both preoperative and postoperative specimens and compared their concordance.