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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

A Swin Transformer-Based Model for Thyroid Nodule Detection in Ultrasound Images
Published on: April 21, 2023
FNA needle rinses preserved in Cytolyt are acceptable specimen type for mutation testing of thyroid nodules
Haijun Zhou1, Dina R Mody2, Debora Smith1
1Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6565 Fannin Street, Houston, Texas.
Introduction:
This study investigated the application of molecular testing to residual thyroid fine-needle aspiration material from needle rinses collected in Cytolyt.
Materials And Methods:
Two thyroid needle rinses from 135 patients were collected in Cytolyt during routine diagnostic workup in our institution. Molecular testing was performed to detect 14 genetic alterations in BRAF, K-, H-, N-RAS genes as well as RET/PTC1, RET/PTC3, and PAX8/PPARγ and verified by next generation sequencing and correlated with cytologic diagnoses.
Results:
Molecular testing revealed a total of 17 mutations across specimens with benign nodule (n = 5; HRAS, NRAS), Hürthle cell neoplasm (n = 2; BRAF, HRAS) and Papillary thyroid carcinoma (n = 10, 9 BRAF, 1 KRAS) cytology. No RNA gene rearrangements were detected.
Conclusions:
Mutations and translocations associated with thyroid cancer can be detected in thyroid fine-needle aspiration needle rinses preserved in Cytolyt specimens collected during routine patient management, which are typically discarded when a diagnosis is attained.
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