CYTOLOGIC DETERMINANTS OF WELL-DIFFERENTIATED THYROID-CANCER

OBJECTIVE: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the preferred diagn ostic study for evaluating thyroid nodules. Despite its accuracy, many patients undergo thyroidectomy for benign nodules. This study was und ertaken to identify risk factors that might increase the specificity o f FNAB. METHODS: Medical records of 422 patients who underwent thyroid surgery between 1986 and 1996 were reviewed. All patients had FNAB pr ior to surgery. RESULTS: Of the 422 patients, 36% had benign cytology, 46% had indeterminate cytology, and 13% had cancer. In the indetermin ate group, 29% of patients had cancer at surgery. Of patients with pap illary cytology, 84% had malignancies. Five percent of FNABs were nond iagnostic. Neither age, gender, nor tumor size was associated with inc reased specificity of FNAB. CONCLUSION: There is no subpopulation of p atients with indeterminate FNAB cytology at increased risk of having w ell-differentiated thyroid cancer. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.