Cervical lymph node metastases from thyroid cancer: does thyroglobulin and calcitonin measurement in fine needle aspirates improve the diagnostic value of cytology?

Table 1 Cytological, molecular and histological diagnoses of suspicious metastatic cervical lymph nodes (CLN) from thyroid cancer patients

CLN number	FNAB-C	FNAB-Tgp (ng/FNAB)	FNAB-Tgm	FNAB-CTm	Histology
1	IN	6620	+	-	Met. PTC
2	IN	7480	+	-	Met. PTC
3	Met. PTC	5652	+	-	Met. PTC
4*	Met. PTC	5293	+	-	Met. PTC
5*	Met. PTC	18612	+	-	Met. PTC
6	Met. PTC	1625	+	-	Met. PTC
7	Met. MTC	0.9	-	+	Met. MTC
8*	IN	37.50	IN	IN	Met. PTC
9	Met. PTC	26108	+	-	Met. PTC
10	Met. ATC	UND	+	-	Met. ATC
11	Met. PTC	37250	ND	ND	Met. PTC
12	Met. PTC	0.8	+	-	Met. ATC
13	Met. PTC	2.82	-	-	Met. ATC
14*	Met. PTC	114	+	-	Met. PTC
15*	Met. PTC	288	-	-	Met. PTC
16	Met. PTC	1151	+	-	Met. PTC
17	Met. PTC	3714	+	-	Met. PTC
18	Met. PTC	480	+	-	Met. PTC
19	Met. PTC	UND	-	+	Met. MTC
20	Met. PTC	UND	-	+	Met. MTC
21*	Met. PTC	62908	IN	IN	Met. PTC
22	Met. PTC	72.3	+	-	Met. PTC
23	Met. PTC	10349	+	-	Met. PTC
24	Met. PTC	384	ND	ND	Met. PTC
25*	Met. PTC	728	ND	ND	Met. PTC
26	Met. PTC	53	+	-	Met. PTC
27	Met. PTC	ND	+	-	Met. PTC
28*	Met. PTC	ND	+	-	Met. PTC
29*	Met. PTC	ND	+	-	Met. PTC
30	Epithelial CA	UND	-	-	Met. RFC
31	Lymphoma	10.9	-	-	Lymphoma
32	Met. LC	UND	-	-	Met. LC
33	Met. PTC	3361	+	-	Met. PTC
34*	Benign	4395	-	-	Met. PTC
35*	Met. PTC	4388	+	-	Met. PTC

FNAB-C, fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology; FNAB-Tgp, FNAB thyroglobulin protein; FNAB-Tgm, FNAB Tg mRNA; FNAB-CTm, FNAB CT mRNA; ND, non-determined; UND, undetectable; IN, inadequate; Pos. WBS, positive whole body scan; RFC, rhino-pharyngeal carcinoma; CA, cancer; LC, lung cancer. * CLN from previously thyroidectomized patients.

ISSN: 1472-6890