AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightHematological parameters may be useful as adjunctive markers when interpreted alongside clinical and radiological findings.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the association between hematological parameters and malignancy in thyroid nodules and to investigate their potential roles in predicting malignancy. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 563 patients who underwent thyroid surgery between January 2022 and December 2025 were included. Patients were divided into benign and malignant groups according to pathological results. Demographic characteristics, surgical and nodule features, and hematological parameters (Systemic Immune-inflammation Index [SII], lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio [L/M], red cell distribution width [RDW], and mean platelet volume [MPV]) were compared. Associations between variables were assessed using correlation analysis, and independent predictors of malignancy were identified by logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Benign pathology was detected in 80.6% of patients and malignancy in 19.4%. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of sex, age, surgical method, or number of nodules (p>0.05). The maximum nodule diameter was significantly higher in the benign group (p<0.001). SII and MPV values were significantly higher in the malignant group (p<0.001), whereas no significant differences were found for L/M ratio and RDW. In multivariate analysis, maximum nodule diameter (OR=0.90; p<0.001), SII (p=0.005), and MPV (OR=1.64; p<0.001) were independently associated with malignancy. ROC analysis showed that maximum nodule diameter had high diagnostic performance (AUC=0.84), whereas SII (AUC=0.63) and MPV (AUC=0.65) demonstrated limited diagnostic value. Conclusion: Although SII and MPV were associated with thyroid malignancy, they do not have sufficient diagnostic accuracy as standalone markers. Maximum nodule diameter appears to be a stronger predictor of malignancy. Hematological parameters may be useful as adjunctive markers when interpreted alongside clinical and radiological findings.