Galectin-3 immunodetection in follicular thyroid neoplasms: a prospective study on fine-needle aspiration samples.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology, which is well established to be accurate for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, may be inconclusive for the follicular thyroid neoplasms. As galectin-3 was suggested to be a marker of malignant thyrocytes, we investigated whether this protein might be helpful in the diagnosis of aspirates classified as undeterminate by cytology. After establishing an easy processing of aspirates for galectin-3 immunodetection, a series of aspirates categorised as benign (n=63), malignant (n=17) or undeterminate (n=34) was prospectively analysed for galectin-3. Only the patients with malignant or undeterminate lesions underwent surgery. Most lesions (86%) diagnosed as malignant by cytology or after surgery were positive for galectin-3. The majority of lesions (94%) classified as benign by cytology or after surgery was negative for galectin-3. The positive and negative predictive values were 83 and 95%, respectively. When focusing on the undeterminate lesions, the sensitivity and specificity were 75 and 90%, respectively, while the positive and negative predictive values were 82 and 87%, respectively. The specificity and the positive predictive value were higher (100%) when considering the percentage of stained cells. Altogether these results show that galectin-3 constitutes a useful marker in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions classified as undeterminate by conventional cytology.

[Use of stereotaxic aspiration macrobiopsies in managing breast microcalcifications: first series of 115 prospective cases]. / Apport des macrobiopsies stéréotaxiques par aspiration dans la stratégie de prise en charge des microcalcifications mammaires: première série prospective de 115 cas.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this prospective study of a 115-case series cases was to delineate the specific usefulness of this technique for the diagnosis and management of patients with microcalcifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with probably benign ACRII and III (n = 87) or suspicious ACRIV (n = 14) and high suspicious lesion ACRV (n = 7) lesions. The microcalcification sites were blopsied with a dedicated table and a vacuum assisted aspiration system (Mammotome). The results were correlated either with the results of any surgery or, for the lesions with benign histology findings, with the results of the six-month follow-up mammography. RESULTS: These results concern a series with a follow-up longer than one year. The patients' mean age was 53 years. The procedure was possible in 108 of 115 cases (feasibility). There were two failures. We studied 87 patients with ACRII or III findings; the mean size of the microcalcification cluster was 8.3 +/- 6 mm. For 67, it was less than or equal to 10 mm. The mean size for the 21 patients initially staged as ACRIV or V was 18 +/- 9 mm, and for 15 of them, it was less than or equal to 10 mm. Microcalcifications were found on the radiographs of 96% of the biopsies specimens. Excision was complete in 59 of 73 cases for the clusters less than or equal to 10 mm and in only 12 of 35 cases for the larger clusters. The correlation between the ACR staging and the histology results was excellent. CONCLUSION: Vacuum-aspirated biopsies are indicated especially among patients with an ACRIII finding and a cluster smaller than 10 mm. Surgery was avoided in more than 60% of these cases. When surgery was performed, it most often resulted in the discovery of malignant lesions. This procedure was also useful for the very small ACRIV clusters, which were totally benign and completely excised. Finally it can be useful for obtaining a preoperative diagnosis in the case of extensive ACRIV or ACRV lesions (strategic biopsies).