Table 1.
Study characteristics.
| Name of author | Year | Country | Indication for PET | Study design | PETs | FTI (%) | % male | Age (SD) | Investigated FTI (FNAC/surgery) | Malignant FTI (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim et al. (23) | 2010 | South Korea | Cancer workup | RS | 11623 | 159 (1.4) | 13.8 | 62.5 (±10.7) | 140 (140/0) | 37 (26.4) |
| Kung et al. (24) | 2010 | Hong Kong | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 1407 | 45 (3.2) | 26.7* | 54.5 (±11.1)* | 15 (4/11) | 6 (40) |
| Zhai et al. (25) | 2010 | China | NS | RS | 3580 | 115 (3.2) | 44.3 | 49.6 (±10.3) | 96 (76/20) | 48 (50) |
| Czepczyński et al. (26) | 2011 | Poland | Cancer workup | RS | 1925 | 71 (3.7) | NS | NS | 20 (11/9) | 9 (45) |
| Hsiao et al. (27) | 2011 | Taiwan | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | NS | 199 | 34.2* | 57.6 (±10.3)* | 45 (29/16) | 17 (37.8) |
| Kim et al. (28) | 2011 | South Korea | Cancer workup | RS | NS | 50 | 20 | 58 (±10.6) | 50 (48/2) | 9 (18) |
| Nilsson et al. (29) | 2011 | Sweden | Cancer workup | RS | 3641 | 37 (1) | 29.7 | 64.6 (±9.1) | 26 (15/11) | 11 (42.3) |
| Nishimori et al. (30) | 2011 | Canada | Cancer workup | RS | 4726 | 103 (2.2) | 44,4** | 56.8 (±13.2)** | 39 (29/10) | 9 (23.1) |
| Pagano et al. (31) | 2011 | Italy | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 11040 | 191 (1.7) | 25* | 64.1 (±12.5)* | 36 (19/17) | 14 (38.9) |
| Prichard et al. (32) | 2011 | Ireland | Cancer workup | RS | 2105 | 35 (1.7) | 25.7 | 64.4 (range 31-90) | 20 (20/0) | 8 (40) |
| Wong et al. (33) | 2011 | Australia | Cancer workup | RS | 7896 | 188 (2.4) | 34.6 | 65.3 | 59 (37/22) | 17 (28.8) |
| Boeckmann et al. (34) | 2012 | USA | Cancer workup | RS | 23384 | 690 (3) | 36.9* | 62.3 (±12)* | 103 (4/99) | 28 (27.2) |
| Bonabi et al. (35) | 2012 | Switzerland | Cancer workup | RS | 3062 | 53 (1.7) | 60** | 67.5 (±8)** | 42 (42/0) | 10 (23.8) |
| Fujii et al. (36) | 2012 | Japan | Cancer workup | RS | NS | 18 | 33.3 | 62.8 (±7.9) | 18 (NS) | 3 (16.7) |
| Kao et al. (37) | 2012 | Singapore | Cancer workup | RS | 942 | 21 (2.2) | 50** | 71.3 (±5.4)** | 6 (0/6) | 3 (50) |
| Lee et al. (38) | 2012 | South Korea | Cervical cancer | RS | 327 | 17 (5.2) | NS | 56.3 (±10.7) | 16 (13/3) | 4 (25) |
| Pampaloni et al. (39) | 2012 | USA | Cancer workup | RS | 8464 | NS | 25 | 59.3 (33-86) | 32 (32/0) | 13 (40.6) |
| Yang et al. (40) | 2012 | China | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 15948 | 281 (1.8) | 34.2* | 53.9 (±12.6)* | NS | NS |
| Bertagna et al. (41) | 2013 | Italy | Cancer workup | RS | 49519 | 729 (1.5) | 39.4 | 65.3 | 211 (139/72) | 72 (34.1) |
| Kim et al. (42) | 2013 | South Korea | Cancer workup | RS | 22674 | 483 (2.1) | 16.1* | 59 (±11.7)* | 286 (285/1) | 79 (27.6) |
| Kim et al. (43) | 2013 | South Korea | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 12119 | 262 (2.2) | 25.6* | 58.4 (±12.1)* | 177 (140/37) | 37 (20.9) |
| Achury et al. (44) | 2014 | Spain | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 4085 | 46 (1.1) | 28.9 | 64 (26-85) | 23 (23/0) | 5 (21.7) |
| Brindle et al. (45) | 2014 | UK | Cancer workup | RS | 7221 | 81 (1.1) | 41.3 | 68 | 26 (26/0) | 7 (26.9) |
| Choi et al. (46) | 2014 | South Korea | Cancer workup | RS | 7914 | 171 (2.2) | 36.4* | 59.4 (±11.4)* | 171 (103/68) | 78 (45.6) |
| Elzein et al. (47) | 2014 | UK | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 1753 | 35 (2) | 33.9 | 66 (26-84) | 16 (10/6) | 2 (12.5) |
| Marques et al. (48) | 2014 | Portugal | Cancer workup | RS | 9374 | 60 (0.6) | 18 | 62 | 23 (9/14) | 14 (60.9) |
| Stangierski et al. (49) | 2014 | Poland | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 5520 | 122 (2.2) | 32 | 60.7 (±12.1) | 82 (60/22) | 19 (23.2) |
| Yaylali et al. (50) | 2014 | Turkey | Cancer screening | RS | 2000 | 57 (2.9) | 40.4 | 60.9 (±14) | 20 (20/0) | 7 (35) |
| Adas et al. (51) | 2015 | Turkey | Cancer workup | RS | 2654 | 25 (0.9) | 26.5 | 57.7 | 25 (16/9) | 11 (44) |
| Agrawal et al. (52) | 2015 | UK | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 29300 | 147 (0.5) | 31.9* | 63.2 (±14)* | 41 (31/10) | 9 (22) |
| Chun et al. (53) | 2015 | South Korea | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 2584 | 52 (2) | 33.3* | 63.4 (± 10.9)* | 36 (18/18) | 15 (41.7) |
| Gavriel et al. (54) | 2015 | Australia | Cancer workup | RS | 1034 | 51 (4.9) | 39.2 | 60 (range 25-81) | 48 (32/16) | 21 (43.8) |
| Jamsek et al. (55) | 2015 | Slovenia | Cancer workup | RS | 5911 | 148 (2.5) | 35.1 | 64.5 (±11.8) | 52 (34/18) | 12 (23.1) |
| Kim et al. (56) | 2015 | South Korea | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 23462 | 493 (2.1) | 21.5* | 51.2 (±10.7)* | 200 (128/72) | 49 (24.5) |
| Sharma et al. (57) | 2015 | UK | Cancer workup | RS | 235 | 9 (3.8) | 33.3 | 57 (range 42-74) | 9 (1/8) | 6 (66.7) |
| Yoon et al. (58) | 2015 | South Korea | Cancer workup | RS | NS | 116 | 44.8* | 60 (±12.6)* | 87 (60/27) | 40 (46) |
| Barrio et al. (59) | 2016 | USA | Cancer workup | RS | 6216 | 243 (3.9) | 32.5 | 68 (41-88) | 67 (67/0) | 21 (31.3) |
| Demir et al. (60) | 2016 | Turkey | Cancer workup | RS | 1450 | 39 (2.7) | 59.6 | 58.5 (±10.6) | 32 (32/0) | 10 (31.3) |
| Flukes et al. (61) | 2016 | Australia | Cancer workup | RS | 27851 | 154 (0.6) | 55.8 | 65.9 (range 35-92) | 53 (36/17) | 21 (39.6) |
| Hassan et al. (62) | 2016 | Pakistan | Cancer workup | RS | 10012 | 93 (0.9) | 39.9 | 53 (20-78) | 50 (50/0) | 24 (48) |
| Şencan Eren et al. (63) | 2016 | Turkey | Cancer workup | PS | 4204 | NS | 32.8 | 60 (±12.6) | 49 (37/12) | 20 (40.8) |
| Vaish et al. (64) | 2016 | India | Cancer workup | RS | 37000 | 61 (0.2) | 21.3 | 54.5 (±11.9) | 26 (23/3) | 7 (26.9) |
| Hagenimana et al. (65) | 2017 | Canada | NS | RS | 40914 | 304 (0.7) | 38.3* | 61.9 (±11.2)* | 161 (115/46) | NS |
| Li et al. (66) | 2017 | USA | Cancer workup | RS | NS | 20 | 40 | 68 (41-88) | 20 (9/11) | 10 (50) |
| Makis et al. (67) | 2017 | Canada | Cancer workup | RS | 7252 | 157 (2.2) | 24.2* | 62.2 (±13.7)* | 57 (0/57) | 14 (24.6) |
| Ozderya et al. (68) | 2017 | Turkey | Cancer workup | RS | 6873 | 135 (2.0) | 32.9* | 62 (±11)* | 76 (50/26) | 35 (46.1) |
| Pak et al. (69) | 2017 | South Korea | Cancer workup or cancer screening | RS | 28824 | 332 (1.2) | 31.1* | 60.7* | 238 (238/0) | 62 (26.1) |
| Sollini et al. (70) | 2017 | Italy | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 17104 | 453 (2.6) | 36.4* | 62 (±15)* | 55 (33/22) | 18 (32.7) |
| Thuillier et al. (71) | 2017 | France | Malignant and benign diseases | PS | 10118 | 131 (1.3) | 38.9* | 64.2 (±11.6)* | 62 (43/19) | 10 (16.1) |
| Chung et al. (72) | 2018 | South Korea | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 96942 | 4672 (4.8) | 24.5* | NS | 1342 (1342/0) | 496 (37) |
| Pattison et al. (73) | 2018 | Australia | Cancer workup | RS | 45680 | 500 (1.1) | 35.1* | 66 (16-96)* | 131 (95/36) | 47 (35.9) |
| Sager et al. (74) | 2018 | Turkey | Cancer workup | RS | 12796 | 221 (1.7) | 24.9 | NS | 126 (126/0) | 43 (34.1) |
| Abdel-Halim et al. (75) | 2019 | Denmark | Malignant and benign diseases | PS | NS | 104 | 31.7 | 67 (range 34-90) | 104 (53/51) | 23 (22.1) |
| Kumar et al. (76) | 2019 | India | Malignant and benign diseases | PS | 1016 | 23 (2.3) | 25.9 | NS | 19 (16/3) | 5 (26.3) |
| Larg et al. (77) | 2019 | Romania | Cancer workup | PS | 6900 | 126 (1.8) | 27 | 62 (±13) | 29 (20/9) | 7 (24.1) |
| Lin et al. (78) | 2019 | Taiwan | Cancer workup | RS | NS | 74 | 43.2 | 60.1 | 70 (70/0) | 19 (27.1) |
| Oven et al. (79) | 2019 | Turkey | Cancer workup | RS | 1840 | 40 (2.2) | 35 | 58 (range 36-84) | 40 (40/0) | 14 (35) |
| Shi et al. (80) | 2019 | China | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 6753 | NS | 31 | 49.5 (±13.7) | 87 (0/87) | 52 (59.8) |
| Bakhshayesh Karam et al. (81) | 2020 | Iran | Cancer workup | PS | 1126 | 78 (6.9) | 50* | 51 (22-76)* | 18 (18/0) | 3 (16.7) |
| Kamakshi et al. (82) | 2020 | India | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | 1737 | 204 (11.7) | 30.9 | 51 | 29 (29/0) | 3 (10.3) |
| Trimboli et al. (83) | 2020 | Switzerland | Malignant and benign diseases | RS | NS | 79 | 39.2 | 68 | 75 (NS) | 21 (28) |
NS, Not Specified; PET, Positron Emission Tomography; FTI, Focal Thyroid Incidentaloma; FNAC, Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology; RS, Retrospective; PS, Prospective.
*Characteristics of patients investigated with FNAC or surgery.
**Characteristics of patients with a malignant FTI.