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Evidence Base
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Evidence Base: Thyroid
Accuracy: Assessing the presence of a goiter
The major studies of agreement greater than chance (kappa) in duplicated thyroid examinations are summarized below. Whether exam is repeated by same observer (intraobserver) or different observer (interobserver), studies differ greatly in reported kappa values. A high correlation in physical exam for kappa is >0.5.
| Physical Examination Assessment |
Likelihood ratio 95% CI |
Sensitivity 95% CI |
Specificity 95% CI |
| Goiter Present |
3.8 (3.3-4.5) |
0.70 (0.68-0.73) |
0.82 (0.79-0.85) |
| Goiter Absent |
0.37 (0.33-0.44) |
0.70 (0.68-0.73) |
0.82 (0.79-0.85) |
|
