Accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology of thyroid lesion with corresponding histopathology: A single institutional experience

Nasar Alwahaibi, Jawhara Alsalami, Usha Rani Bai, Ritu Lakhtakia

Thyroid Research and Practice 2016 13(3):140-143

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions with the final histopathologic diagnosis in the surgical specimens. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed over an 11-year-period at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultanate of Oman. The records of all patients who had undergone FNAC and subsequent surgery for thyroid cancer were included. Cytological diagnosis was classified into five categories: Unsatisfactory, benign, papillary carcinoma, undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, and suspicious for malignancy. Histopathological diagnosis was classified into two categories: Papillary carcinoma and other thyroid carcinomas. Results: A total of 1460 cases of FNAC thyroid were retrieved. Female to male ratio was 6.3:1, and the mean age was 43.4 years. There were 20 papillary carcinomas, two undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas, and 118 suspicious for malignancy representing 9.6% of all cases. Of these 140 FNAC cases, subsequent histopathologic diagnosis found in only 95 cases. Papillary carcinoma was seen in 83.16% followed by follicular and medullary types with a rate of 12.6% and 2.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that FNAC is a sensitive method for the diagnosis of thyroid lesion if cytological yield is adequate and papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer in our institution.

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