Adiposity is associated with a higher number of thyroid nodules and worse fine-needle aspiration outcomes

Background: Adiposity may be associated with thyroid nodularity. However, its impact on the number of nodules and the risk of malignancy is unclear. Aim: To evaluate the impact of adiposity on thyroid nodules using body mass index (BMI), ultrasonographic (US) data and cytological data. Methods: A re...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elpida Demetriou, Aliki Economides, Maria Fokou, Demetris Lamnisos, Stavroula A Paschou, Panagiotis Papageorgis, Panayiotis A Economides
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bioscientifica 2025-01-01
Series:European Thyroid Journal
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Online Access:https://etj.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/etj/14/1/ETJ-24-0176.xml
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Summary:Background: Adiposity may be associated with thyroid nodularity. However, its impact on the number of nodules and the risk of malignancy is unclear. Aim: To evaluate the impact of adiposity on thyroid nodules using body mass index (BMI), ultrasonographic (US) data and cytological data. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 310 patients with thyroid nodules was performed. Patients were categorized based on their BMI, and grayscale US data and fine-needle aspiration cytology results were evaluated. Results: Patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 were found to have a higher number of thyroid nodules compared to those with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (4.25 ± 2.42 vs 3.66 ± 1.93) (P value = 0.05). Patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 had more suspicious and malignant cytology than those with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (P value = 0.029). Patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 had more nodules with intermediate and high suspicion sonographic patterns. However, this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Overweight and obese patients have a trend for more thyroid nodules and have a higher risk of being diagnosed with thyroid malignancy.
ISSN:2235-0802