Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and cytology in malignant thyroid nodules
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20453/rmh.v37i2.7106Keywords:
thyroid nodule, ultrasonography, cytology, fine-needle biopsy, thyroid neoplasmsAbstract
Thyroid nodular disease is a common reason for consultation. Most nodules are benign; therefore, accurate identification of malignant lesions is essential. Objective: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of ultrasound and cytology in detecting malignancy in thyroid nodules (TNs). Methods: Observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study of diagnostic test validation. Seventy patients with 134 thyroid nodules who underwent surgery between January 2015 and December 2019 at Hospital de Clínicas, Montevideo, Uruguay, were included. Results: Eighty-three percent of patients were female, with a mean age of 48 ± 14.9 years. Ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 96.3%, specificity of 92.3%, PPV of 89.7%, and NPV of 97.3%. Cytology showed a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 95.3%, PPV of 93.8%, and NPV of 91.1%. Conclusions: Ultrasound and cytology showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting malignancy in TNs, supporting their use as complementary diagnostic tools in clinical practice.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriela Mintegui, Javier Rodríguez, Beatriz Mendoza
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