RESUMO
A total of 625 cases of palpable thyroid lesions were subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC]. Proper aspirates could be obtained in 600. From all these aspirates alcohol fixed smears were stained by haematoxylin and eosin and air dried smears were stained by Leishman stain. Biopsy / thyroidectomy was done in 200 of these cases and histopathological examimtion was also carried out in all of them. Of the 600 cases studied by FNAC, non-neoplastic lesions were seen in 500 [colloid goitre-400 thyroiditis 60, hyperplasia 30 and cysts-10]. Neoplatic lesions were seen in 100 [papillary carcinoma 45 follicular carcinoma -40, anaplastic carcinoma -8, medullary carcinoma 6- and lymphoma -1]. Out of 200 cases where histology was done cytological diagnosis was confirmed in 190 cases