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Background: The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology is a commonly used classification for fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of suspicious thyroid nodules. The risk of malignancy (ROM) for each category has recently been analyzed in three international databases. This paper compares the diagnostic performance of the Bethesda classification in a high‐volume referral center in Belgium. Methods: All consecutive thyroid procedures were registered in a prospective database from January 2010 till August 2022. Patient and surgical characteristics, preoperative Bethesda categories, and postoperative pathology results were analyzed. Results: Out of 2219 consecutive thyroid procedures, 1226 patients underwent preoperative FNA. Papillary thyroid cancer was the most prevalent malignancy (N = 119, 70.4%), followed by follicular (N = 17, 10.1%) and medullary thyroid cancer (N = 15, 8.9%). Micropapillary thyroid cancer was incidentally found in 46 (3.8%) patients. Bethesda categories I, II, III, IV, V, and VI, respectively, represented 250 (20.4%; ROM 4.4%), 546 (44.5%; ROM 3.8%), 96 (7.8%; ROM 20.8%), 231 (18.8%; ROM 15.2%), 62 (5.1%; ROM 72.6%), and 41 (3.3%; ROM 90.2%) patients. Overall ROM was 13.8%. An negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.2% was found. Overall specificity was 64.2% with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 31.9%. Diagnostic accuracy was 67.8%. Compared to international databases (CESQIP, EUROCRINE, and UKRETS), ROM in this study appeared lower for Bethesda category IV (15.2 vs. 26.7% and p = 0.612). Conclusion: Despite being validated in numerous studies, ROM based on preoperative FNA cytology classified according to the Bethesda classification may vary among surgical centers and countries as this study reveals a higher NPV and lower PPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC) has attempted to standardize thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) reporting internationally into six diagnostic categories and help in clinical decision making. But there exists a significant variation in the reporting percentage and rates of malignancies in each category across the centres which complicates clinical decision making. To study the usefulness of TBSRTC in surgical planning of thyroid nodules and to correlate TBSRTC with final histopathology. 85 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent surgery were evaluated prospectively. Preoperatively FNAC and TBSRTC reporting was done and following surgery histopathology was correlated with cytology. Distribution of 85 patients amongst the six categories of TBSRTC was as follows: 2.35% in Category I, 68.23% II, 7.05% III, 16.47% IV, 2.35% V and 3.52% VI. In 93% (79) of patients TBSRTC correlated with histopathology whereas in 7% (6) it did not. Risk of malignancy calculated was 0% in II, 33.33% in III, 7.14% in IV and 100% in V and VI categories. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value and Negative Predictive Value of TBSRTC was 100% for V, VI categories, whereas it was 100%, 78%, 15% and 100% respectively for III, IV. The diagnostic accuracy in our study is 100% for Category V and VI whereas it is 79% for Category III and IV. TBSRTC proved to be a very good screening platform for triaging patients with thyroid nodules into benign and malignant groups, as it is directly related to risk of malignancy in each category. It has helped in appropriate surgical planning in 96.4% of our patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]