Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40889104›Full record

ArticleCancer cytopathology2025

Utility of whole-slide imaging for rapid evaluation of thyroid FNA: A multireader prospective study.

Mohammed S Ahmed, Dianna Klippel-Almaraz, Sara E Amin, Gloria H Sura, Uma Rani Kundu, Wendong Yu, Jogn M Stewart, Qiong Gan, Savitri Krishnamurthy

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cytopathology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

9 authors.

Mohammed S AhmedDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-5508-2669
Dianna Klippel-AlmarazDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Sara E AminMcGovern Medical School at UTHealth, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Gloria H SuraDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Uma Rani KunduDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Wendong YuDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8958-6762
Jogn M StewartDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Qiong GanDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6563-5611
Savitri KrishnamurthyDepartment of Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9030-4136

Funding

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) improves diagnostic adequacy and facilitates ancillary molecular testing. In this prospective, multireader study, the authors evaluated the feasibility of using whole-slide images (WSIs) for ROSE to determine specimen adequacy and preliminary categorization (according to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology [Bethesda]) of image-guided thyroid FNABs compared with conventional light-microscopic (LM) examination of the same specimens in a referral cancer center.

methodsThe authors evaluated 98 ultrasound-guided thyroid FNAB cases. Smears were stained with Papanicolaou and Diff-Quik and were scanned at ×20 magnification using a Leica Aperio CS2 scanner. Five cytopathologists evaluated specimen adequacy and Bethesda categorization using WSI followed by LM assessment after a 2-week washout. Intraobserver and interobserver agreements were calculated using Cohen and Fleiss kappa (κ) statistics. Scan time, interpretation time, and the need for ×40 magnification or z stacking were recorded.

resultsIn total, 463 slides were scanned, with mean scan time of 5.48 minutes. WSI quality was acceptable in most cases. Z stacking and ×40 magnification were requested in 23% and 14% of reviews, respectively. Intrareader agreement between WSI and LM examination was excellent (κ = 0.86-0.95). Inter-reader agreement was moderate for both WSI (κ = 0.48) and LM examination (κ = 0.56). Concordance was highest for Bethesda categories I and VI and lowest for categories III-V. Interpretation with WSI took significantly longer than with LM examination (p < .0001).

conclusionsWSI is a feasible alternative to LM examination for ROSE of thyroid FNABs, with high intrareader agreement and comparable inter-reader agreement. The limited need for high magnification and z stacking supports its practical utility.

Indexed as

Thyroid GlandThyroid NeoplasmsThyroid NoduleBiopsy, Fine-NeedleFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleObserver VariationProspective Studiesfine‐needle aspiration biopsyrapid on‐site evaluationtelecytologythyroid

Identifiers

PMID40889104
PMCPMC12401073

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.