Utilidad diagnóstica de los marcadores tumorales en la citología del tiroides extraída por punción-aspiración con aguja fina

Thyroid nodules are common, affecting approximately 10% of the general population. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy has become the mainstay of thyroid nodule evaluation. The overall accuracy of this procedure is excellent but suspicious or indeterminate cytological samples can pose a diagnostic and management dilemma. In the attemptto find a molecular marker useful as an aid for cytological diagnosis, at least 70 molecular markers have been analyzed in thyroid nodules. This review focuses on some potential markers, such as thyroid peroxidase, thyroglobulin, telomerase, galectin-3, RET/PTC and p53; a few of these potential markers, such as thyroid peroxidases, thyroglobulin and galectin-3, can be studied in routine pathology laboratories and are promising, but do not yet fulfill the criteria for use in clinical practice. The American guidelines and the European consensus for the management of thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer do not recommend their use because the evidence provided is insufficient.