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A Swin Transformer-Based Model for Thyroid Nodule Detection in Ultrasound Images
Published on: April 21, 2023
Relationship Between Sonographic Characteristics and Afirma Gene Expression Classifier Results in Thyroid Nodules
Qing-Li Zhu1,2, William C Faquin3, Anthony E Samir2
11 Department of Ultrasound, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Objective:
The purpose of this article is to investigate whether specific clinical and sonographic characteristics are predictive of a benign Afirma test result.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study of Afirma gene expression classifier analysis performed in 44 patients with 45 indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytologic results between March 2013 and April 2014. Of these, 33 of 45 nodules (73.3%) were repeat atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and follicular lesions of undetermined significance (FLUS), or follicular neoplasm (FN) and suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (SFN) before Afirma testing.
Results:
Of the 45 nodules, 21 (46.7%) were cytologically diagnosed as FLUS, 16 (35.6%) were diagnosed as AUS, and eight (17.8%) were diagnosed as FN or SFN. By Afirma testing, 23 of the 45 nodules (51.1%) were benign, 21 (46.7%) were suspicious, and one (2.2%) had nondiagnostic results. The mean (± SD) nodule size was smaller in the Afirma-benign group than in the Afirma-suspicious group (1.8 ± 0.8 cm [95% CI, 1.4-2.1] vs 2.2 ± 0.8 cm [95% CI, 1.8-2.6]; p < 0.035). No sonographic feature was statistically significantly different between the Afirma-benign and -suspicious groups, including nodule solidity (p = 0.225), echogenicity (p = 0.543), calcification (p = 0.542), and hypervascularity (p = 0.976). All nodules were ovoid shaped and had circumscribed margins in both Afirma groups.
Conclusion:
Smaller nodule size was the only characteristic associated with a benign diagnosis on Afirma testing. Sonographic characteristics are not helpful in cases that had a repeat indeterminate FNA finding before Afirma testing.
