Fig. 1. Flowchart of the search for published articles.

Of the 235 papers initially found, 223 were excluded because they reported the use of core needle biopsy (CNB) in other contexts than indeterminate nodules (i.e., studies comparing the accuracy of CNB and fine-needle aspiration [FNA] in a series of patients with thyroid nodules with no prior FNA) or were case reports or review articles. Of the 12 studies determined to be eligible, four [27-30] were excluded due to unclear data (i.e., no clear histologic outcomes), and one [26] was excluded due to potential overlap of the study period with enrollment in another series [18].