The Role of Hemogram Parameters in Differentiating Malignant from Benign Thyroid Nodules

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 4, 129 - 133, 13.11.2025

Eşref Araç , Erhan Şimşek , Muhammed Akif Deniz , Ayşe Nur Keleş

https://doi.org/10.56016/dahudermj.1793905

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Thyroid nodules are a common clinical finding, with over 90% being benign and approximately 4-6.5% exhibiting malignant characteristics. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) under ultrasound guidance is the standard diagnostic method. This study aimed to evaluate the role of routine hemogram parameters in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules in patients who underwent FNAB due to suspicion of malignancy.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 80 patients who underwent thyroid FNAB at the Interventional Radiology and Endocrinology Clinic of Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between September 2022 and November 2024, with results reported as either malignant or benign. Demographic characteristics and hemogram parameters, including neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts, hemoglobin, and derived ratios (NLR, PLR, NPL), were analyzed and compared between the benign and malignant groups.
Results: Of the 80 patients, 77.5% (n=62) were female and 22.5% (n=18) were male. The mean age was 50.6 ± 12.54 years, with 82.5% (n=66) aged ≥40 years. Based on FNAB results, 60% (n=48) were benign and 40% (n=32) were malignant. Although the malignant group had higher mean values for neutrophil count, NLR, NPL, and PLR compared to the benign group, these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Similarly, no significant differences in hemogram parameters were found when comparing groups by gender or age. However, malignancy rates were significantly higher in males (61.1% vs. 33.9% in females, p=0.038) and in patients under 40 years of age (64.3% vs. 34.8% in ≥40 group, p=0.041).
Conclusion: This study found that hemogram parameters did not show a statistically significant ability to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. However, male gender and younger age (<40 years) were identified as significant demographic risk factors for malignancy. Further large-scale, multicenter prospective studies are needed to clarify the potential prognostic or supportive role of hemogram parameters in thyroid nodule evaluation.

Keywords

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) , Hemogram , Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) , Plateletto- lymphocyte ratio (PLR) , Thyroid nodule

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Dicle University Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 2025/73).

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