Pozitron emisyon tomografi-bilgisayarlı tomografide insidental saptanan tiroid nodüllerinin ultrasonografi ve patoloji sonuçlarının değerlendirilmesi: Tek merkez sonuçları

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, 18F-FDG PET-BT’de tiroid insidentaloması saptanan hastaların tiroid patolojilerini belirlemek, klinik, görüntüleme, histopatoloji ve cerrahi tedavi sonuçlarını ortaya koymak ve 18F-FDG tutulum paternleri ile Maksimum Standart Uptake Değerleri (SUVmax) arasındaki ilişkiyi değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Ocak 2021 ile Şubat 2024 tarihleri arasında herhangi bir nedenle PET-BT çekilen 1837 hastanın verileri retrospektif olarak analiz edilmiştir. Dahil edilme kriterlerini karşılayan hastaların demografik verileri, ultrasonografi (USG) ve 18F-FDG PET-BT görüntüleri ile cerrahi ve histopatolojik bulguları incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Tiroid tutulumu saptanan 71 hasta USG ile değerlendirilmiş ve 46 hastada (%2,5) tiroid nodülü tespit edilmiştir. İnce iğne aspirasyon biyopsisi (İİAB) yapılan 22 nodülden 12’si benign olarak raporlanmıştır. Cerrahi uygulanan 6 nodülün (2’si Bethesda V, 3’ü Bethesda VI ve 1’i Bethesda III) üçü benign, diğer üçü (%13,6) ise malign (papiller tiroid karsinomu) olarak sonuçlanmıştır. Fokal tutulum gösteren nodüllerde malignite oranı %16,6 (3/18) olarak belirlenmiştir. Benign ve malign nodüllerin ortanca SUVmax değerleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptanmamıştır (p = 0,164). Sonuç: Özellikle 18F-FDG PET-BT görüntülemesinde fokal tiroid tutulumu saptanan hastalarda tanısal inceleme gerekliliğinin belirlenmesi, bu müdahalelerin sonuçlarının ortaya konulması ve farkındalığın artırılması önemlidir. Ultrasonografik olarak riskli değerlendirilen nodüllerde, SUVmax değerinden bağımsız olarak İİAB yapılması gerektiği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• pozitron emisyon tomografi-bilgisayarlı tomografi
• tiroid nodülü
• ultrasonografi

Evaluation of ultrasonography and pathology results of incidental thyroid nodules detected on positron emission tomography- computed tomography: Single center results

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to determine the thyroid pathologies of patients with thyroid incidentalomas detected on 18F-FDG PET-CT, to obtain clinical, imaging, histopathology, and surgical treatment results, and to reveal the relationship between 18F-FDG uptake patterns and Maximum Standard Uptake Values (SUVmax) and diagnostic results. Material and Methods: Data from 1,837 patients who underwent PET-CT for any reason between January 2021 and February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data, ultrasonography (USG), 18F-FDG PET-CT images, and surgical and histopathological data of all patients meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Results: Patients with uptake (n = 71) were evaluated with US, and thyroid nodules were detected in 46 patients (46/1837) (2.5%). Of the 22 nodules that underwent fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), 12 were diagnosed with benign pathology. Among the six nodules that underwent surgery (2 Bethesda V, 3 Bethesda VI, and 1 Bethesda III), three were confirmed as benign, while the other three (13.6%) were diagnosed as malignant (papillary thyroid carcinoma). The malignancy rate in nodules with focal uptake was 16.6% (3/18). No statistically significant difference was observed in the median SUVmax values between benign and malignant nodules (p = 0.164). Conclusion: It is essential to determine the need for diagnostic evaluations, reveal the outcomes of diagnostic interventions, and raise awareness, especially in patients with focal thyroid uptake observed on 18F-FDG PET-CT imaging. When focal uptake is detected on 18F-FDG PET-CT, it is crucial to perform FNAB if the nodule is considered risky on US, regardless of the SUVmax value.

Keywords

• positron emission tomography-computed tomography
• thyroid nodule
• ultrasonography

Supporting Institution

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Ankara Training and Research Hospital (approval date and number: 17 April 2024-E-24/60).

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