Observational studyFrontiers in endocrinology2026
When cytology misses and ultrasound warns: the predictive role of BRAFV600E mutation in thyroid nodules.
Observational study in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Thyroid nodules with high-suspicion ultrasound features but benign cytologic findings remain a diagnostic challenge due to potential false-negative fine-needle aspiration (FNA) results. The BRAFV600E mutation, a hallmark of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), may improve malignancy risk stratification. This study prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of BRAFV600E mutation testing in ultrasound-high-suspicion thyroid nodules with non-malignant cytology. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University between January 2019 and July 2024, enrolling 562 ultrasound-high-suspicion thyroid nodules with non-malignant or indeterminate cytology (Bethesda II-III). Preoperative BRAFV600E analysis was performed using PCR-based methods, and all nodules subsequently underwent surgical excision with definitive histopathology. Associations between mutation status, sonographic patterns, and final diagnoses were assessed through univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among 562 nodules, 280 (49.8%) harbored the BRAFV600E mutation. Final pathology confirmed 390 PTCs (69.4%) and 172 benign lesions (30.6%). The BRAFV600E mutation was strongly associated with malignancy (66.2% vs. 12.8%, P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, BRAFV600E positivity independently predicted PTC (OR = 10.36, 95% CI = 6.18-17.35, P < 0.001). The test showed a sensitivity of 66.2%, specificity of 87.2%, positive predictive value of 92.1%, and overall accuracy of 72.6%. Conclusion: BRAFV600E mutation testing is a valuable molecular tool for evaluating high-suspicion thyroid nodules with cytologically benign or indeterminate findings. Its strong predictive value enables earlier identification of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), but results should always be interpreted alongside clinicopathologic and imaging assessments to guide optimal diagnostic decisions. In this highly selected cohort, BRAFV600E testing added diagnostic value beyond high-suspicion ultrasound features, improving the distinction between true malignancy and benign mimics in a population with a 69.4% baseline cancer prevalence.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.