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Digital Versus Optical Diagnosis of Follicular Patterned Thyroid Lesions

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Abstract

Objectives

To study the concordance between pathologists in the diagnosis of follicular patterned thyroid lesions using both digital and conventional optical settings.

Material and Methods

Five pathologists reviewed 50 hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of follicular patterned thyroid lesions using both digital (the D-Sight 2.0 scanner and navigator viewer) and conventional optical instruments with washout interval time.

Results

The mean concordance rate with the ground truth (GT) was similar between conventional optical and digital observation (83.2 and 85.2%, respectively). The most frequent reason for diagnostic discordance with GT on both systems was the evaluation of nuclear features (69.1% for conventional optical observation and 59.4% for digital observation). The intraobserver diagnostic concordance mean was 86.8%. Time for digital observation (mean time per case = 2.9 ± 0.8 min) was higher than that for conventional optical observation (mean time per case = 2.0 ± 0.7 min). Interobserver correlation of measurements was higher in the digital observation than the conventional optical observation.

Conclusion

Conventional optical and digital observation settings showed a comparable accuracy for the diagnosis of follicular patterned thyroid nodules, as well as substantial intraobserver agreement and a significant improvement in the reproducibility of the measurements that support the use of digital diagnosis in thyroid pathology. The origins underlying the variability of the diagnosis were the same in both conventional optical microscopy and digital pathology systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Ipatimup Diagnostics, University of Porto (IPATIMUP)/i3S, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal

    Ayat Aloqaily, Antonio Polonia, Sofia Campelos, Nusaiba Alrefae, Joao Vale, Ana Caramelo & Catarina Eloy

  2. King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH), Jordan, University of Science and Technology (JUST), Irbid, Jordan

    Ayat Aloqaily

  3. Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations, Kuwait, Kuwait

    Nusaiba Alrefae

  4. Medical Faculty, Porto University, Porto, Portugal

    Catarina Eloy

  5. Instituto de Investigação E Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Antonio Polonia & Catarina Eloy

Authors
  1. Ayat Aloqaily
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  2. Antonio Polonia
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  3. Sofia Campelos
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  4. Nusaiba Alrefae
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  5. Joao Vale
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  6. Ana Caramelo
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  7. Catarina Eloy
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Correspondence to Ayat Aloqaily.

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Aloqaily, A., Polonia, A., Campelos, S. et al. Digital Versus Optical Diagnosis of Follicular Patterned Thyroid Lesions. Head and Neck Pathol 15, 537–543 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-020-01243-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-020-01243-y

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