Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The Bethesda System 2010 introduced six diagnostic categories and divided follicular proliferation in two risk classes: Thyr3 and Thyr4. In literature about 5–15% of Thyr3 nodules are malignant and the risk of malignancy for Thyr4 is closer to 15–30%. We have analysed our cases surgically treated in recent years.

Materials and method: We have prospectively categorised into a dedicated database patients submitted to thyroidectomy at OU General Surgery and Organ Transplantation, University Hospital of Parma, from January 2012 to December 2014. The following data were recorded: age, sex, cytological category and histological examination.

Results: patients were submitted to total thyroidectomy for suspected or definite diagnosis of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). In 145 cases cytological categories were Thyr3 (48 patients: 43 females and five males; average age 50.3 years) and Thyr4 (97 patients: 79 females and 18 males; average age 49.7 years). In 16 patients with Thyr3 (33.3%)and in 40 patients with Thyr4 (42.85%) nodules were malignant.

Conclusion: In our area the percentage of thyroid nodules is high; the incidence of malignant nodule in females is closer to 18 cases/1 00 000 person-years. This element explains the higher incidence of malignancy of Thyr3 and Thyr4 nodules in our series compared to data in the literature.