[Histocytological correlation in fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland]. / Correlação cito-histológica na punção aspirativa da tiróide com agulha fina.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To correlate cytological diagnosis with the anatomicopathological ones to assess the accuracy of cytological examination as a diagnostic test. CASES AND METHOD: The results of 328 cytological diagnoses were compared with the corresponding anatomicopathological results from surgical specimens. RESULTS: In all thyroid diseases the accuracy of the method was above 95%. Among the more frequent diseases, the sensitivity of the test was 98%, 69%, 81%, 85% and 89%, respectively for nodular colloid goiter, follicular neoplasms, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, papillary carcinoma and Hürthle-cell neoplasia; in all of them the test specificity was at least 89%. CONCLUSION: Based on these results and owing to its relative simplicity, this study also documents the FNAB usefulness as a diagnostic method for thyroid diseases.