TITLE:
Assessing the Specificity and Sensitivity of Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) for Patients with Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS)-3 Thyroid Nodules-Single Center Study
AUTHORS:
Othman Alshehre, Fahad Aldowsari, Mojahed Alamri, Tahani Alshehri, Ahmed Altwaim, Halah Alqahatani, Alanoud Aljoudi, Amer Alzahrani, Haitham Aljedani, Bushra Albazi
KEYWORDS:
Thyroid, TIRADS, FNA, Nodules
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.6,
June
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Thyroid nodules are commonly discovered as palpable neck masses or incidentally via imaging. They are localized lesions that may be solid, cystic, or mixed. FNA is the best way to distinguish between benign and malignant nodules. Aim: The study aimed to assess the Sensitivity and Specificity of Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) in diagnosing malignancy within the TIRADS 3 nodules. Methods: 523 patients with 617 thyroid nodules were classified using ultrasound (TIRADS) followed by FNA. Cytological results were reported using the Bethesda system. Results: The majority of nodules were classified as TIRADS 3 (44.7%), FNA revealed 78.1% benign and 21.9% malignant nodules in all TIRADS, while 19.6% of TIRADS 3 nodules were malignant. Diagnostic performance of FNA was excellent, with a sensitivity 99.3% specificity 100%. Conclusion: The integration of TIRADS imaging, FNA cytology, and Bethesda classification provides a reliable and cost-effective diagnostic pathway for thyroid nodules. This approach minimizes unnecessary surgeries and ensures timely detection of malignancy.