Trial reportFrontiers in endocrinology2023
Effect of a stylet on specimen sampling in thyroid fine needle aspiration: A randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial.
Trial report in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of two puncture techniques for fine-needle capillary biopsy in thyroid nodules: a randomized controlled trial.Endocrine journal · 2026Trial
- Evaluation of relevant indicators in the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Do stylet needles improve diagnostic accuracy in thyroid fine-needle aspiration? A retrospective analysis.BMC endocrine disorders · 2025Article
- Thyroid fine needle aspiration specimen adequacy: a noninferiority study and cost-effectiveness comparison of puncture needles.Scientific reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: There is a cost advantage in using a needle without stylet over a needle with stylet in thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA). This study aimed to elucidate the non-inferiority of thyroid FNA without a stylet (S-) to thyroid FNA with a stylet (S+) on specimen sampling. Methods: In this study, patients with thyroid nodules undergoing FNA were consecutively enrolled between May 2022 and July 2022. One experienced operator performed two punctures of each nodule with a stylet and without a stylet. Specimen adequacy was the primary outcome. Wald test was used for statistical analysis of the primary outcome. The difference in specimen adequacy between the two methods was expressed as a two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI). The S- method was considered non-inferior to the S+ method if the lower bound of the 95% CI of the S- minus S+ adequacy difference was greater than a predetermined non-inferiority margin of -10%. Results: A total of 149 patients (195 nodules) were enrolled in the study. A total of 167 of 195 nodules (85.64%) and 169 of 195 nodules (86.67%) were obtained adequate specimens using the S+ and S- methods, respectively. The difference in specimen adequacy (S- minus S+) between the two methods was 1.03% (95% CI, -5.83% to 7.88%). The lower bound 95% CI of the difference in specimen adequacy (-5.83%) was greater than the predetermined non-inferiority margin of -10%. The difference in the yield for malignancy was not significantly different between the two methods. Conclusion: Thyroid FNA without a stylet is non-inferior to thyroid FNA with a stylet on specimen sampling.
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Registered trials
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.