Cytopathological evaluation of thyroid by fine needle aspiration cytology and its association with thyroid function

Abstract

Introduction: Fine needle aspiration cytology is a reliable method for thyroid nodule evaluation (FNAC). Thyroid nodules often cause abnormal thyroid function tests, which are used for diagnosis and therapy. Thyroid cancer and incorrect thyroid function testing are still debated. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the cytopathological features of thyroid nodules by FNAC and their association with thyroid function tests. Methods: This 12-month cross-sectional study was conducted in Peshawar, Pakistan. 350 thyroid nodule patients were referred to endocrinology. All research participants had a physical checkup and thyroid function testing. Thyroid function testing measured TSH and FT4 using conventional laboratory procedures. All individuals had 23-gauge ultrasound-guided thyroid nodule FNAC. Pathologists used the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology to evaluate FNAC samples. SPSS 25 analyzed the data. Descriptive statistics detailed the study population's clinical and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was utilized to examine the relationship between thyroid function tests and thyroid cancer risk and FNAC's thyroid cancer detection effectiveness. Results: For this research, a total of 350 thyroid nodule patients were included having the median age 39.8 (20-60) years and the ratio of female to male participants was 3:1.