Table 1.
Content analysis: categorization and codification of the diagnostic process of nodules and of thyroid cancer cases among thyroid microcarcinomas.
| A – Data related to the nodule diagnosis process (29): |
| A-1 – Nodules of incidental diagnosis (11) |
| A-1.1 – Cancer diagnosis and, consecutively, nodule diagnosis in cervical lymphadenectomy from other causes (2) |
| A-1.2 – Diagnosis in ultrasonography performed for evaluation or follow-up of hypo/hyperthyroidism (2) |
| A-1.3 – Diagnosis in ultrasonography performed for evaluation or investigation of other pathologies (5) |
| A-1.4 – Diagnosis through cervical examination during medical consultations due to other causes (2) |
| A-2 – Non-incidental diagnosis of a thyroid nodule (18) |
| B – Data related to the process of diagnosis of thyroid cancer (146): |
| B-1 – Patients operated due to highly suspected or confirmed cancer by preoperative cytological or histological analysis (52) |
| B-1.1 – Patients undergoing thyroidectomy after FNAB for suspected or confirmed cancer (45) |
| B-1.2 – Patient submitted to totalization of previous thyroidectomies for cancer (4) |
| B-1.3 – Patients undergoing thyroidectomy after lymphadenectomy with histologic diagnosis of thyroid cancer metastasis (3) |
| B-2 – Patients operated due to benign conditions without suspicion of malignancy (28) |
| B-2.1 – Incidental diagnosis of cancer in lymphadenectomy for other causes (5) |
| B-2.2 – Incidental diagnosis of cancer in thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter with compressive symptoms (19) |
| B-2.3 – Incidental diagnosis of cancer in thyroidectomy due to Plummer's disease or toxic multinodular goiter (4) |
| B-3 – Patients operated due to undetermined conditions (66) |
| B-3.1 – Patients undergoing thyroidectomy strictly by ultrasonographic suspicion criteria (15) |
| B-3.2 – Patients undergoing thyroidectomy by an indeterminate FNAB result (29) |
| B-3.3 – Patients undergoing thyroidectomy due to bulky nodules with indeterminate cytological result, with incidental diagnosis of microcarcinomas (22) |
The absolute frequencies of each category are indicated in brackets.
FNAB, fine-needle aspiration biopsy.