Evaluation of aspiration biopsy cytology in the diagnosis of solitary thyroid nodule

ABSTRACT

Thirty nine patients [35 femals and 4 males] presenting with solitary non toxic thyroid nodule were admitted to El Hussein University Hospital on the period between September 89 to May 1991. They were subjected to full history and, clinical examination, serum T3 and T4 levels, ultrasonic and isotope scanning. Fine needle aspiration biopsy [Aspiration Biobsy Cytology, ABC] was done for every patient and the results obtained were compared with the results obtained by excisional biopsy. In our study the sensitivety for the presence of the tumour was 75% and when we added follicular adenoma as a positive for the tumour the sensitivity increased to become 86%. The specificity for the abscence of the tumour was 100% [there is no false positive cases] the false negative rate was 3.2% the positive predicitive value was 100%, the negative predictive value was 97%. The over all accuracy of ABC was 92.3%