Table 1 Clinicopathological and ultrasonographic characteristics of patients with FNA or CNB before and after matching.

From: Comparison Between Fine Needle Aspiration and Core Needle Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules: Effective Indications According to US Findings

 

Before matching

After matching

FNA (n = 1060)

CNB (n = 462)

P Value

FNA (n = 171)

CNB (n = 171)

P Value

Mean age ± SD

51.01 ± 12.46

49.98 ± 13.20

0.149

49.88 ± 12.34

50.39 ± 13.39

0.718

Sex

  

0.014*

  

0.815

  Female

823 (79.4)

333 (73.7)

 

117 (68.4)

120 (70.2)

 

  Male

213 (20.6)

119 (26.3)

 

54 (31.6)

51 (29.8)

 

Present Bethesda or CNB diagnostic category

  

<0.001*

  

0.066

  I (non-diagnostic)

147 (13.9)

0

 

6 (3.5)

0

 

  II (benign)

728 (68.7)

168 (36.4)

 

91 (53.2)

91 (53.2)

 

  III (AUS/FLUS)

50 (4.7)

41 (8.9)

 

23 (13.5)

21 (12.3)

 

  IV (FN/SFN)

4 (0.4)

193 (41.8)

 

3 (1.8)

8 (4.7)

 

  V (suspicious for malignancy)

14 (1.3)

10 (2.2)

 

2 (1.2)

7 (4.1)

 

  VI (malignant)

117 (11.0)

50 (10.8)

 

46 (26.9)

44 (25.7)

 

Conclusive diagnosis

863 (81.4)

421 (91.1)

<0.001*

142 (83.0)

150 (87.7)

0.302

Previous Bethesda or CNB diagnostic category

  

<0.001*

  

<0.001*

  Not done

826 (77.9)

170 (36.8)

 

119 (69.6)

75 (43.9)

 

  I

63 (5.9)

37 (8.0)

 

10 (5.8)

10 (5.8)

 

  II

135 (12.7)

95 (20.6)

 

22 (12.9)

34 (19.9)

 

  III

34 (3.2)

141 (30.5)

 

18 (10.5)

40 (23.4)

 

  IV

1 (0.1)

5 (1.1)

 

1 (0.6)

1 (0.6)

 

  V

0

11 (2.4)

 

0

8 (4.7)

 

  VI

1 (0.1)

3 (0.6)

 

1 (0.6)

3 (1.8)

 

Mean nodule size ± SD

2.12 ± 1.12

2.65 ± 1.35

<0.001*

2.39 ± 1.16

2.65 ± 1.43

0.077

Range of nodule size

  

<0.001*

  

0.820

  ≤2 cm

603 (56.9)

183 (39.6)

 

71 (41.5)

74 (43.3)

 

  >2 cm

457 (43.1)

279 (60.4)

 

100 (58.5)

97 (56.7)

 

Nodule composition on US

  

<0.001*

  

0.500

  Predominantly cystic

71 (6.7)

4 (0.9)

 

2 (1.2)

4 (2.3)

 

  Predominantly solid

424 (40.0)

117 (25.3)

 

52 (30.4)

45 (26.3)

 

  Solid

565 (53.3)

341 (73.8)

 

117 (68.4)

122 (71.3)

 

ACR TI-RADS category

  

<0.001*

  

0.712

  2

378 (35.7)

93 (20.1)

 

36 (21.1)

41 (24.0)

 

  3

334 (31.5)

158 (34.2)

 

50 (29.2)

41 (24.0)

 

  4

220 (20.8)

170 (36.8)

 

49 (28.7)

53 (31.0)

 

  5

128 (12.1)

41 (8.9)

 

36 (21.1)

36 (21.1)

 

K-TIRADS category

  

<0.001*

  

1.000

  3

771 (72.7)

290 (62.8)

 

93 (54.4)

90 (52.6)

 

  4

179 (16.9)

133 (28.8)

 

45 (26.3)

48 (28.1)

 

  5

110 (10.4)

39 (8.4)

 

33 (19.3)

33 (19.3)

 
  1. Note:— Data in parentheses are percentages.
  2. SD, standard deviation; AUS/FLUS, atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance; FN/SFN, follicular neoplasm or suspicious for follicular neoplasm; ACR TI-RADS, American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System; K-TIRADS, Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System.
  3. *A P Value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
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