Related Experiment Video For Anaplastic thyroid cancer
Updated: Apr 6, 2026
Substernal Thyroid Biopsy Using Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration
Published on: November 10, 2014
Core needle biopsy could reduce diagnostic surgery in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer or thyroid lymphoma
Eun Ju Ha1, Jung Hwan Baek2, Jeong Hyun Lee3
1Department of Radiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Wonchon-Dong, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, 443-380, Korea.
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB) in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) or thyroid lymphoma (TL).
Methods:
Between January 2000 and March 2012, 104 patients were diagnosed with ATC or TL by means of ultrasound (US)-guided FNA, CNB, or surgery. This study ultimately included 99 patients with ATC (n = 59) or TL (n = 40). We evaluated the sensitivity and positive predictive value of FNA and CNB for the diagnosis of ATC and TL, and compared the rates of diagnostic surgery between FNA and CNB.
Results:
FNA was used in 83 patients, and CNB was used in 32 patients initially (n = 16), after FNA results (n = 8), or simultaneously with FNA (n = 8). CNB achieved sensitivity of 87.5 % (28/32) and positive predictive value of 100.0 % (28/28) for the diagnosis of ATC and TL. The respective values for FNA were 50.6 % (40/79) and 90.9 % (40/44). The rate of diagnostic surgery was significantly lower after CNB (4/32, 12.5 %) than after FNA (28/79, 35.4 %) (p = 0.020).
Conclusions:
CNB was able to reduce unnecessary diagnostic surgery in patients with ATC or TL by virtue of its superior diagnostic sensitivity and positive predictive value compared to FNA.
Key Points:
• Diagnostic sensitivity and PPV for CNB were 87.5 % and 100.0 %, respectively. • The respective values for FNA were 50.6 % and 91.0 % for ATC and TL. • Diagnostic surgery rates were reduced after CNB compared to FNA (p = 0.020).
