Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy of the Thyroid

Abstract

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is of primary importance in the screening of thyroid nodules. This report summarizes the results of a 7-year personal experience, compre hensive of 1,936 biopsies from 1,881 patients with single or multiple nodules. Ade quate material was obtained in 1,862 cases (96.2%) and interpreted as "negative," "suspicious," or "positive" for malignancy. Histological assessment in 311 operated cases revealed 6 false negatives and 3 false positives. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the test were 88.0%, 98.4%, and 96.2%, respectively. The predictive value was also high. These findings offer further evidence of the reliability of fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the evaluation of thyroid nodules, especially when the procedure is performed by experienced operators and close cooperation between clinicians and pathologists is established. Int J Surg Pathol 1 (3):171-176, 1994