Table 2 Malignancy rates for thyroid nodules that met adequacy criteria and subsequent resection according to cytopathologic categories based on the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology from July to December 2013.

From: Modified Bethesda system informing cytopathologic adequacy improves malignancy risk stratification in nodules considered benign or atypia(follicular lesion) of undetermined significance

FNA cytopathology

All FNAs (Number)

Surgically resected nodules (Number)

Malignant nodules confirmed by surgery (Number)

Malignancy rate

% maximum*

% minimum†

Benign

857

35

5

14.3%

0.6%

AUS/FLUS

159

39

20

51.3%

12.6%

FN/SFN

20

9

3

33.3%

15.0%

Suspicious for malignancy

62

40

39

97.5%

62.9%

Malignant

348

222

222

100.0%

63.8%

Total

1446

345

289

83.8%

20.0%

  1. Abbreviations: FNA: fine-needle aspiration; AUS/FLUS: atypia (or follicular lesion) of undetermined significance; FN/SFN: follicular neoplasm or suspicious for a follicular neoplasm.
  2. *Percentage of cases calculated from total number of resected cases in each category (maximum malignancy rate).
  3. †Percentage of cases calculated from total number of fine-needle aspirations in each category (minimum malignancy rate).
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