Fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of palpable thyroid lesions

Fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] has gained acceptance and is being widely used in the diagnosis of palpable thyroid lesions. At our institution we regularly started this procedure in June, 1992. Till May 1995, 312 patients of palpable thyroid lesions were subjected to FNAC. On cytological evaluation there were 234 [75%] cases diagnosed as non neoplastic including 6[1.92%] cases of thyroiditis. Twenty eight [8.97%] were positive for malignancy, 24 [7.69%] labelled as suspect neoplastic, and for 26 [8.33%] cases the aspirates were unsatisfactory. Surgical specimens were available in 95 cases for histological examination and comparison with cytological diagnosis. The statistical analysis revealed sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100% and an accuracy of 98.57%. We consider FNAC of palpable thyroid lesions, as a simple safe, well tolerated, useful and a rapid diagnostic procedure

Transbronchial fiberoptic biopsy in pulmonary malignancies results in 451 cases

Transpronchial fiberoptic biopsies were carried out on 451 patients with a suspicion of pulmonary malignancy. A positive diagnosis was made in 347 cases making a diagnostic yield of 76.9 percent. The various types of malignancies so diagnosed were classified according to the W.H.O. classification of lung tumors. Various epithelial changes such as hyperplasia and dysplasia were found either in association with a tumor or independently. Carcinoma in situ was seen in 37 cases. Epidermoid carcinoma formed the commonest variety of lug tumors followed by small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma in that order. The ages of these subjects ranged between 20 ad 92 years with peak age incidence of 45.5 years in males and 46 years in females. A sex ratio of 4.6 males to 1 female was observed