Table 3 The search results from various databases

Pubmed/MEDLINE

(“thyroid nodules”[Title/Abstract] OR “thyroid neoplasms”[MeSH Terms] OR “Goiter”[Title/Abstract] OR “Struma”[Title/Abstract] OR “thyroid cancers”[Title/Abstract]) AND (“biopsy, fine needle”[MeSH Terms] OR “fine needle aspiration biopsy”[Title/Abstract] OR “FNAB”[Title/Abstract] OR “FNAC”[Title/Abstract] OR ((“biopsi”[All Fields] AND “jarum”[All Fields]) AND “halus”[Title/Abstract])) AND (“ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy”[Title/Abstract] OR “USGFNAB”[Title/Abstract] OR “Ultrasound”[Title/Abstract] OR “Ultrasonography”[Title/Abstract] OR “US”[Title/Abstract] OR (“palpation guided fine needle aspiration biopsy”[Title/Abstract] OR “PGFNAB”[Title/Abstract] OR “Palpate”[Title/Abstract] OR “Palpation”[Title/Abstract]))

2089

Embase

#1 thyroid nodules m_titl,

#2 Limit #1 to abstracts

#3 thyroid tumor/

#4 goiter m_titl

#5 Limit #4 to abstracts

#6 thyroid cancers

#7 Limit #6 to abstracts

#8 Struma m_titl

#9 Limit #8 to abstracts

#10 Fine needle aspiration bio psy/

#11 Fine needle aspiration biopsy m_titl

#12 Limit #11 to abstracts

#13 FNAB m_titl

#14 Limit #13 to abstracts

#15 FNAC m_titl

#16 Limit #15 to abstracts

#17 biopsi aspirasi jarum halus mp_title

#18 ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy m_titl

#19 Limit #18 to abstracts

#20 USGFNAB m_titl

#21 Limit #20 to abstracts

#22 ultrasound m_titl

#23 Limit #22 to abstracts

#24 ultrasonography m_titl

#25 Limit #24 to abstracts

#26 US m_titl

#27 Limit #26 to abstracts

#28 palpation guided fine needle aspiration biopsy m_titl

#29 Limit #28 to abstracts

#30 PGFNAB

#31 Limit #30 to abstracts

#32 Palpate m_titl

#33 Limit #32 to abstracts

#34 Palpation m_titl

#35 Limit #34 to abstracts

#36 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR # 9

#37 #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR#13 OR #14 OR #15 OR #16 OR #17

46

#38 #18 OR #19 OR #20 OR #21 OR #22 OR #23 OR #24 OR #25 OR #26 OR #27 OR #28 OR #29 OR #30 OR #31 OR #32 OR #33 OR #34 OR #35

#39 #36 AND #37 AND #38

Proquest

#1 ab,ti(“thyroid nodules”) OR ab,ti(“thyroid neoplasms”) OR ab,ti(“thyroid cancers”) OR ab,ti(“Goiter”) OR ab,ti(“Struma”)

#2 ab,ti(“biopsy, fine needle”) OR ab,ti(“fine-needle aspiration biopsy”) OR ab,ti(“FNAB”) OR ab,ti(“FNAC”) OR ab,ti(“biopsi aspirasi jarum halus”) OR ab,ti(“BAJAH”)

#3 ab,ti(“ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy”) OR ab,ti(“USGFNAB”) OR ab,ti(“Ultrasound”) OR ab,ti(“Ultrasonography”) OR ab,ti(“US”)

#4 ab,ti(“palpation-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy”) OR ab,ti(“PGFNAB”) OR ab,ti(“Palpate”) OR ab,ti(“Palpation”)

#1 AND #2 AND (#3 OR #4)

1364

Grey Literature

38