Item Code: 3500-H

Item Name: Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: The Contribution of Case Review and Second Opinions

Patricia G. Wasserman, MD

Presentation date: November 26, 2013; Expires: November 26,  2016

Inter-institutional consultation in pathology has shown to improve patient safety by detecting interpretative errors that may significantly impact clinical management. Opponents have alleged increased costs due to this consultative practice without considering potential cost of surgical complications, litigation expenses and cost avoidance from lost wages. This webinar will review the mayor sources of discrepancies in thyroid aspirations and explain the clinical impact of second opinions. A review of molecular testing as an adjunct tool to subjective morphologic criteria will be summarized.

Item Code: 3400-I

Item Name: Molecular Diagnostics in Thyroid FNA Samples

Marina N. Nikiforova, MD

Presentation date: December 11, 2012; Expires: December 11, 2015

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology provides a definitive diagnosis of benign or malignant disease in many cases, whereas about 25% of nodules are indeterminate, hindering most appropriate clinical management. Somatic mutations and other molecular alterations have been recognized as helpful diagnostic and prognostic markers for thyroid cancer. Molecular testing for BRAF, RAS, RET/PTC, and PAX8/PPARγ mutations is feasible in clinical FNA samples, helps to improve the diagnostic accuracy of FNA cytology, and offers a valuable tool for management of patients with thyroid nodules.

Archive Item Code: 3300-K

Item Name: What's all the FLUS about? An Update on Experience with Bethesda System Reporting of Atypical Thyroid FNAs
Jeffrey F. Krane, MD, PhD     

Presentation date: February 28, 2012; Expires: February 28, 2015

The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology provides for an atypical category variously termed atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS). This webinar will review criteria for this controversial designation, provide an update on published experiences with AUS/FLUS, and suggest future directions for refining this category.

Archive Item Code:  3200-A

Item Name: Order Out of Chaos: The Bethesda System for Thyroid Cytopathology
Edmund S. Cibas, M.D.           

Presentation date: April 27, 2010; Expires: April 27, 2013

It is critical that the cytopathologist communicate thyroid FNA interpretations in terms that are succinct, unambiguous, and clinically helpful. Historically, terminology for thyroid FNA has varied significantly from one laboratory to another. For clarity of communication, The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology recommends that each report begin with one of six general diagnostic categories.