FNA study of 377 thyroid nodules: a cyto- and histopathologic correlative study

ABSTRACT

377 patients with single thyroid nodule who clinically were candidates for surgery, were selected from the patients that referred to the clinics of endocrinology at Namazee Hospital, Shiraz Medical School. Fine needle aspiration [FNA] was carried out without performing thyroid scan and the results were compared with histology obtained by surgery to establish its accuracy in our center, which is an area of endemic goiter. 72% were benign confirmed by surgery, 17% malignant [of which two cases were colloid goiter] and 11% [42 cases] were suspicious of these 42 suspicious cases, 28.5% were follicular carcinoma and the rest were benign. In this study sensitivity and specificity of FNA were 91% and 97%, respectively. In conclusion, although our area is an endemic goiter area, the accuracy of FNA is comparable to iodine sufficient areas