Surgeon-performed point-of-care ultrasound and ultrasound-guided core biopsy reduce diagnostic invasiveness in...

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare thyroid malignancy, with chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy being the primary treatments. Surgery is typically reserved for diagnostic purposes and unnecessary surgeries increased risk of operation and post-operative hypothyroidism. A minimally invasive diagnostic approach is essential for PTL to minimize potential complications.

A retrospective review for patients diagnosed with PTL at a tertiary medical center between 2007 and 2024 was conducted. The data on demographics, diagnostic procedures, cytopathological results, costs, procedure times, and post-procedure complications were collected for analysis.

Diagnostic methods among 25 pathologically confirmed PTL included ultrasound-guided core biopsy (USCB) for 10 patients, open biopsy for 4, unilateral thyroid lobectomy for 6, and total thyroidectomy for 5. The lymphoma subtypes included 13 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 1 with follicular lymphoma, and 11 with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The USCB group had the lowest incidence of post-treatment hypothyroidism, lower cost, shorter procedure time, and smaller wound size.

Surgeon-performed ultrasound and USCB offers a minimally invasive, cost-effective and timely approach for diagnosing primary thyroid lymphoma, with better functional preservation.