Associations between Bethesda categories and tumor characteristics of conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of Bethesda categories III,V, and VI with the clinical and pathological features of thyroid nodules surgically confirmed asconventional papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). Methods: We analyzed 1,990 consecutive patients diagnosed with conventional PTC at surgerywith preoperative Bethesda categories III, V, or VI. We determined the odds ratio (ORs) of theclinical and pathological variables associated with categories III and V, using category VI as thereference. Results: Category III and V PTCs had a smaller pathological tumor size (OR, 0.934 and OR,0.969, respectively) and less frequently had central lymph node metastasis (OR, 0.487 and OR,0.780, respectively) than category VI PTCs. Category III PTCs less frequently showed suspiciousultrasonographic features (OR, 0.296) than category VI PTCs, and category V PTCs less frequentlyhad gross extrathyroidal extension, with borderline significance (OR, 0.643; P=0.059). Conclusion: Conventional PTCs with a preoperative Bethesda category of III or V may lessfrequently exhibit poor prognostic factors than those with malignant cytology.