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01-08-2019 | Foreign Body Aspiration | Original Article

Clinical practice guidelines on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules: a critical appraisal using AGREE II

Authors: Salvatore Gitto, Sotirios Bisdas, Ilaria Emili, Luca Nicosia, Lorenzo Carlo Pescatori, Kunwar Bhatia, Ravi K. Lingam, Francesco Sardanelli, Luca Maria Sconfienza, Giovanni Mauri

Published in: Endocrine | Issue 2/2019

Abstract

Purpose

To appraise the quality of current guidelines on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules for adults using the AGREE II quality assessment tool.

Methods

We conducted an online search for guidelines on FNAB of thyroid nodules published between 2013 and October 2018. They were evaluated by four independent reviewers previously trained to apply the AGREE II instrument, which is organized into items and domains. A fifth independent reviewer calculated scores for each domain and guideline as well as inter-appraiser agreement.

Results

Six sets of guidelines were included, respectively, provided by the American Thyroid Association (ATA), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology/Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AACE/ACE/AME), the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR), the European Thyroid Association (ETA), the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Korean Society of Radiology and National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (KSR/NECA). Five out of the six guidelines (ATA, AACE/ACE/AME, ETA, ACR and KSR/NECA) reached a high level of overall quality, having at least five domain scores >60%. An average level of overall quality was achieved in one case (KSThR recommendations). Inter-appraiser agreement ranged from moderate to excellent.

Conclusions

Overall, the quality of guidelines on FNAB of thyroid nodules is satisfactory when evaluated using the AGREE II instrument.

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Title: Clinical practice guidelines on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules: a critical appraisal using AGREE II
Authors: Salvatore Gitto
Sotirios Bisdas
Ilaria Emili
Luca Nicosia
Lorenzo Carlo Pescatori
Kunwar Bhatia
Ravi K. Lingam
Francesco Sardanelli
Luca Maria Sconfienza
Giovanni Mauri
Publication date: 01-08-2019
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Foreign Body Aspiration
Foreign Body Aspiration
Aspiration
Published in: Endocrine / Issue 2/2019
Print ISSN: 1355-008X
Electronic ISSN: 1559-0100
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-019-01898-w

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