Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20049437›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of surgery2010

A systematic review of cases reporting needle tract seeding following thyroid fine needle biopsy.

Stergios A Polyzos, Athanasios D Anastasilakis

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of surgery, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Papillary Thyroid Cancer With Cutaneous Metastasis: A Case Report and Literature Review.World journal of otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Anaplastic and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas at intervention sites: implications of track seeding and the importance of follow-up monitoring- report of two cases.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. FNAC Track Seeding in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Rare Complication.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2023
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Preoperative diagnostic of parotid gland neoplasms: fine-needle aspiration cytology or core needle biopsy?European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2018
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Stergios A PolyzosSecond Medical Clinic, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokration Hospital, 546 42, Thessaloniki, Greece. stergios@endo.gr
Athanasios D Anastasilakis
424 General Military Hospital · GRAristotle University of Thessaloniki · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBecause of its accuracy and cost-effectiveness, thyroid fine needle biopsy (FNB) is the procedure of choice in the preoperative management of thyroid nodules. Needle tract seeding (NTS) has been a concern since the earliest days of FNB, contributing to the delayed acceptance of FNB as a safe procedure. In this review we tried to systematically record all reports of NTS after diagnostic thyroid FNB and provide useful hints to minimize the risk of NTS.

methodsComputerized advanced search for primary evidence was performed in the PubMed (Public/Publisher Medline) electronic database. The search was not limited by publication time or English language.

resultsTen relevant articles were found: eight case reports, one case in a surgical series, and one retrospective observational study.

conclusionsDespite initial concerns about the risk of NTS, FNB is now considered to be a safe procedure. Although proper FNB technique can reduce its risk, NTS is an unavoidable complication of FNB, which clinicians should be aware of. However, the incidence of NTS is low and it doesn't seem to affect the prognosis because the seedings can be surgically removed without recurrence. The management of the thyroid nodules is to-date based on FNB, and the benefits from FNB (elimination of needless imaging and surgery) far outweigh the potential risk for NTS.

Indexed as

Neoplasm SeedingBiopsy, Fine-NeedleHumansRisk FactorsThyroid Neoplasms

Identifiers

PMID20049437
OpenAlexW1997712866

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.