DISTRIBUTION OF THYROID PATHOLOGIES IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS IN GEORGIA

We aimed to analyze the diagnostic criteria proposed by the Bethesda System for reporting thyroid Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) results. FNABs of 600 patients were performed during 1-year period (2013-2014) in Georgian hospitals (Tbilisi Cancer Center, New Hospitals, National Screening Center). Based on our clinical, ultrasound, FNAB and histology results we define how each diagnostic category of the Bethesda System is distributed among age and sex groups of the cases included in this work. The patient age range was from 20- to 80 years and grouped them in four age groups: I group 20-35 years (n=87), II group 36-50 (n=243), III group 51-65 (n=206) and IV group 66-80(n=64). Histologic correlation was made, defined rate of malignancy. Each diagnostic category conveys specific risk of malignancy, which offers guidance for patient management. Our study showed that the probability of benign nodules is high in our cases, encountered 63,3%. Benign nodules are most commonly found in the group II and III, which are middle age groups. Bethesda class 3 or AUS/FLUS category, which is the most heterogeneous class, carries the rate of malignancy 20,4% and most commonly encountered in group II and III. According to our study particularly noteworthy and interesting was the first age group (20-35 years) because most of the diagnosis of Bethesda class 6 or malignant category was encountered in this age group. Based on our data, it should be noted that there are very high probability of cancer in young age group and it carries high risk of malignancy.