Year: 2026 | Month: July-September | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 362-369
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20260339
Clinicopathological and Radiological Profile of Benign Thyroid Swellings: An Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in North Karnataka
Dinesh Valse1, Sachit Patil2, Athira J Sankar3
1Associate Professor, 2,3Senior Resident,
1,2Dept of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 3Dept of Community Medicine, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India
Corresponding Author: Dr Sachit Patil
ABSTRACT
Background: Benign thyroid swellings are among the most common endocrine disorders requiring surgical evaluation. Although ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) are widely used for preoperative assessment, the clinicopathological spectrum and surgical outcomes vary across populations. This study evaluated the demographic profile, clinical presentation, ultrasonographic characteristics, cytological findings, histopathological diagnoses, and surgical outcomes in patients with benign thyroid swellings in a tertiary care teaching hospital in North Karnataka.
Methods: An observational study was conducted among 40 consecutive patients with benign thyroid swellings who underwent surgical management at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Demographic characteristics, clinical findings, thyroid function tests, ultrasonographic findings including TI-RADS classification, FNAC (Bethesda system), operative procedure, postoperative outcomes, and histopathological diagnoses were recorded. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics in terms of frequency and percentages.
Results: The mean age of the study population was 39.7 ± 10.8 years, with a marked female predominance (90.0%). Slowly progressive thyroid swelling was observed in 80.0% of patients. Among the study participants, TI-RADS 2 comprised the largest ultrasonographic category (52.5%), Bethesda category II constituted 55.0% of FNAC diagnoses and histopathology showed Hashimoto's thyroiditis (32.5%) as the most common diagnosis, followed by colloid nodules (30.0%), follicular adenoma (27.5%), and Hurthle cell adenoma (10.0%). The most frequently performed surgical procedure for management of benign thyroid swelling among the study participants was hemithyroidectomy.
Conclusion: Benign thyroid swellings predominantly affect women in the fourth decade of life. TI-RADS 2 and Bethesda category II were the most frequent ultrasonographic and cytological category respectively seen among the study participants. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was the most common histopathological diagnosis, followed by colloid nodules and follicular adenoma. These findings support the use of an integrated diagnostic approach compounding clinical evaluation, ultrasonography, FNAC, and histopathological examination for accurate classification and appropriate management of benign thyroid swellings.
Keywords: Benign thyroid swelling, Bethesda, Fine-needle aspiration cytology, Histopathology, TI-RADS, Thyroidectomy