Linking MPV and NLR to TI-RADS: improved predictive accuracy for thyroid malignancy.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Hematology

Background:

• Papillary thyroid cancer incidence is influenced by diagnostic advancements like ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration (FNA).
• There's a need for additional markers to improve differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules, optimizing patient care and reducing invasive procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between inflammatory markers, specifically mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the presence of thyroid nodules.
• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MPV and NLR in differentiating malignant thyroid nodules.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 355 patients, categorized into groups with and without thyroid nodules.
• Nodules were classified by FNA results (benign vs. malignant).
• Statistical analyses included correlation tests, t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to compare inflammatory markers.

Main Results:

• Higher MPV (≥10.1 fL) and NLR (≥1.6) were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of thyroid cancer.
• ROC analysis showed significant but poor diagnostic performance for MPV (AUC: 0.30) and NLR (AUC: 0.24).
• Elevated MPV and NLR correlated with higher Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) classifications.

Conclusions:

• Elevated MPV and NLR are significantly associated with thyroid cancer and higher TI-RADS scores.
• These markers, when used with ultrasonography and FNA, may assist in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
• Further research could explore their role in refining patient management strategies for thyroid nodules.