What does atypia of undetermined significance mean thyroid?
Atypical thyroid biopsy (atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance, AUS/FLUS): this happens when there are some abnormal/atypical cells in the biopsy sample but not enough to diagnose a cancer.
What is the risk of malignancy?
Although the risk of malignancy in this category was originally cited as 5–15%, recent literature has suggested higher rates of related malignancy ranging from 38% to 55%.
What to do if the report of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology comes as AUS?
- Malignant nodules warrant surgery with total thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy, whereas benign nodules can be observed or followed with serial ultrasounds (US) based on their imaging characteristics.
- The management of nodules with a cytopathologic diagnosis of AUS/FLUS can be difficult because theses nodules lie between the extremes of benign and malignant.
- The management options for such nodules include observation, repeat fine-needle aspiration, and surgery.
- The use of molecular genetics, the identification of suspicious US characteristics, and the recognition of additional clinical factors are all important in the development of an appropriate, tailored management approach. Institutional factors also play a crucial role.