Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.47960/2303-8616.2025.2.11.69

THYROID SCINTIGRAPHY. INCIDENCE OF THYROID CARCINOMA IN COLD NODE

Marko Krpan orcid.org/0009-0006-0422-9875 ; University Clinical Hospital Mostar, 88 000 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina *
Bruno Rajič ; University Clinical Hospital Mostar, 88 000 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Marin Brajković orcid.org/0009-0000-1835-987X ; University Clinical Hospital Mostar, 88 000 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases of the endocrine system, and its changes are often asymptomatic in the early stages. Cold thyroid nodules are often suspicious and require further diagnostic testing to exclude a malignant character. Diagnostic methods such as scintigraphy, ultrasound, cytological puncture and pathohistological analysis are key to correctly distinguishing benign and malignant lesions. This paper analyzes the incidence of thyroid cancer in patients with cold nodules, with the aim of assessing the efficiency of different diagnostic methods in detecting malignant changes.
Objective: To assess the incidence of thyroid cancer in scintigraphically proven cold nodules.
Subjects and methods: The study included 98 patients who underwent thyroid scintigraphy in the period 2023-2024 due to suspected cold nodules. In all cases, additional diagnostic procedures were performed: ultrasound examination, aspiration cytology puncture and pathohistological analysis of tissue samples. Age, gender and diagnostic methods for determining the nature of the nodule were analyzed.
Results: Of the 98 patients, the majority of patients were between 60 and 79 years of age (43%). Women accounted for 78.6% of the subjects. The results showed that malignant thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed in 7.1% of the subjects. Cytology puncture showed high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (100%) in diagnosing benign and malignant lesions. The most common benign finding was follicular adenoma, while malignant changes were most often papillary carcinomas.
Conclusion: Scintigraphy, ultrasound and cytology puncture are key methods in the evaluation of cold thyroid nodules, with cytology puncture being the most sensitive for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. The risk of malignancy in this study was 7.1%, with a higher proportion in men.

Keywords

Thyroid carcinoma; cold nodule; scintigraphy

Hrčak ID:

340143

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/340143

Publication date:

28.11.2025.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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