Usefulness of Core Needle Biopsy for Thyroid Nodules with Macrocalcifications: Comparison with Fine-Needle Aspiration

Background: This study was performed to determine the benefits of core needle biopsy (CNB), as compared with fine-needle aspiration (FNA), for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules with macrocalcifications. Materials and Methods: The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and informed consent was waived. From February 2010 to March 2012, the study included 147 thyroid nodules with macrocalcification of 145 consecutive patients who underwent simultaneous FNA and CNB for each nodule. Diagnostic accuracy and inconclusive diagnoses, including nondiagnostic reading and atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance reading were compared among FNA, CNB, and a combination of FNA and CNB (FNA/CNB) using McNemar's test; the benefits of CNB were calculated. Results: Compared to FNA, CNB and FNA/CNB showed fewer inconclusive diagnoses (FNA vs. CNB: 62/147 [42.2%] vs. 14/147 [9.5%], p<0.001; FNA vs. FNA/CNB: 62/147 [42.2%] vs. 14/147 [9.5%], p<0.001), resulting...