Background: Thyroid nodules are prevalent worldwide. Accurate diagnostic tools are required to differentiate between benign and malignant types.
The Aim of the work: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography [US] and FNAC [fine needle aspiration cytology] in distinguishing the nature of thyroid nodules, considering histopathology as the gold standard.
Patients and Methods: A total of 100 patients with thyroid nodules were categorized into two groups: Group I [n=50] underwent ultra-sonographic assessment and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System [TIRADS] classification. Group II [n=50] underwent FNAC and Bethesda classification. Clinical parameters, ultrasound features, and histo-pathological findings were compared between the groups.
Results: The study groups were comparable [no significant differences] in terms of demographic characteristics and most clinical parameters. However, a significant difference was noted in the site of nodules. Histopathologically, benign nodules were identified in 72% of Group I and 68% of Group II. However, malignant nodules were found in 28% of Group I and 32% of Group II. FNAC demonstrated 72% accuracy for benign and 94.42% accuracy for malignant nodules, compared to [84% accuracy for benign and 16% for malignant nodules] for ultrasound.
Conclusion: Our findings affirm the diagnostic specificity of both USG and FNAC. USG is effective in identifying thyroid nodules. However, FNAC exhibits higher accuracy, making it a reliable, minimally invasive method to distinguish between benign and malignant tumors.