THYROID DISORDERS IN NORTH INDIA AND THEIR REPORTING BY BETHESDA SYSTEM €“ 1 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: Thyroid nodules are very common clinical problem and thyroid cancer is becoming more prevalent. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has become a well established modality in the diagnosis, staging and follow up of thyroid nodules. FNAC results are routinely classified using the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology. The Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology is a significant step to standardize the thyroid FNA reporting. It has high reproducibility, predictive value and improved clinical significance. Aims And Objectives: To determine the spectrum of thyroid disorders in north India and to determine the accuracy and reliability of FNAC in our center. Material And Method: A retrospective study of FNAC thyroid nodules was carried out on 133 patients referred to our Department from July 2021 to August 2020. Slides were retrieved from the cytopathology section of the Department of Pathology, GMCH, reviewed and then classified as per the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology. Patients of all ages and gender were included in the study. Results: Total 133 FNAC procedures were performed during the study period. 86 cases were females and 47 were males with male to female ratio of 1:1.83. The nodules of 9 patients were classified as Bethesda category-I, 74 patients as Bethesda category-II, 11 patients as Bethesda category-III, 8 patients as Bethesda category-IV, 9 patients as Bethesda category-V and 22 patients as Bethesda category VI. Out of 133 patients, only 36 patients underwent for surgery among these 36 cases, 4 were classified as Bethesda category-IV , 9 as Bethesda category-V and 22 as Bethesda category-VI on cytology which were further confirmed as cases of thyroid malignancy on histopathology reports. Conclusion: Our study substantiates greater reproducibility among Pathologists using TBSRTC to arrive at a precise diagnosis with an added advantage of predicting the risk of malignancy which enables the clinician to plan for surgery, extent of surgery or follow-up of the patients by repeating the FNA of thyroid nodules at specific intervals.