Table 3.

Comparison of diagnostic results among FNA, CNB, and combined FNA/CNB

Diagnosis (category)	FNA	CNB	FNA/CNB	P-value
				FNA vs. CNB	FNA vs. FNA/CNB	CNB vs. FNA/CNB
All nodules (n=782)
Nondiagnostic (I)	103 (13.2)	16 (2.0)	11 (1.4)	<0.001	<0.001	0.063
Benign (II)	350 (44.8)	396 (50.6)	421 (53.8)	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
AUS/FLUS (III)	82 (10.5)	64 (8.2)	40 (5.1)	0.076	<0.001	<0.001
FN/SFN (IV)	5 (0.6)	28 (3.6)	28 (3.6)	<0.001	<0.001	>0.999
Suspicious for malignancy (V)	67 (8.6)	27 (3.5)	26 (3.3)	<0.001	<0.001	>0.999
Malignant (VI)	175 (22.4)	251 (32.1)	256 (32.7)	<0.001	<0.001	0.063
Nodule size <1 cm (n=356)
Nondiagnostic (I)	53 (14.9)	7 (2.0)	6 (1.7)	<0.001	<0.001	>0.999
Benign (II)	115 (32.3)	141 (39.6)	149 (41.9)	<0.001	<0.001	0.021
AUS/FLUS (III)	44 (12.4)	30 (8.4)	20 (5.6)	0.059	<0.001	0.006
FN/SFN (IV)	0	5 (1.4)	5 (1.4)	NA	NA	>0.999
Suspicious for malignancy (V)	42 (11.8)	18 (5.1)	18 (5.1)	0.002	0.001	>0.999
Malignant (VI)	102 (28.7)	155 (43.5)	158 (44.4)	<0.001	<0.001	0.250
Nodule size ≥1 cm (n=426)
Nondiagnostic (I)	50 (11.7)	9 (2.1)	5 (1.2)	<0.001	<0.001	0.125
Benign (II)	235 (55.2)	255 (59.9)	272 (63.8)	0.017	<0.001	<0.001
AUS/FLUS (III)	38 (8.9)	34 (8.0)	20 (4.7)	0.652	<0.001	<0.001
FN/SFN (IV)	5 (1.2)	23 (5.4)	23 (5.4)	<0.001	<0.001	>0.999
Suspicious for malignancy (V)	25 (5.9)	9 (2.1)	8 (1.9)	0.004	0.001	>0.999
Malignant (VI)	73 (17.1)	96 (22.5)	98 (23.0)	<0.001	<0.001	0.500

Values are presented as number (%).

FNA, fine-needle aspiration; CNB, core needle biopsy; AUS/FLUS, atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance; FN/SFN, follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm; NA, not applicable.