ABSTRACT
Objectives: to define the value of DNA ploidy in the management of solitary thyroid nodule
Patients and Methods: 50 patients were subjected to FNAB and flow cytometric DNA measurements and managed according to the results by either hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy
Results: DNA aneuploidy was found to be more common in patients with thyroid carcinoma. DNA flow cytometric measurements have decreased the percentage of false negative results of FNAB. DNA aneuploidy was found to be more common in males, old age, extrathyroid extension, poor histological differentiation and metastasis. Also DNA aneuploidy was associated with recurrence and poor 2 years' survival
Conclusion: DNA flow cytomietry plays an important role in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules especially in suspicious and unsatisfactory samples. Cases with diploid DNA histogram associated with high proliferative index values are well going toward malignancy. Patients with aneuploid differentiated thyroid tumors have poorer prognosis compared with patients with diploid tumors. So DNA pattern of ENAB can be used in the diagnosis and the prognosis of patients with thyroid carcinoma