Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of thyroid gland was
performed in 100 patients. Twenty five patients had undergone surgery
(25%) subsequent to a one-time FNA cytology.
FNAC diagnoses included 75% benign cases (43% colloid goitre,
30% cystic goitre and 2% thyroiditis), 4% malignant and 6% cellular
cases. Fifteen per cent (15%) of the specimens were inadequate. When
compared with clinical diagnosis based on non-invasive investigations,
total agreement of FNAC and clinical diagnosis was achieved in 70% of
cases.
With histological diagnosis; there was 2 cases false negative FNAC
diagnoses and 3 cases false positive results.
FNAC had an essential role in the diagnosis and management of
13% of our patients, a confirmatory role in 70% of patients, a noncontributory
role in 15% when specimens were inadequate and was
misleading in 2% when results were false negative.
From these results, we conclude that FNAC has a reliable role in
the clinical management of thyroid diseases. |
