FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION AND FROZEN-SECTION DIAGNOSIS IN THE MANAGEMENTOF THYROID-NODULES

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a valuable technique in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. A total of 182 FNAs of the thyroid performed at t he Sultan Qaboos University Hospital were reevaluated and 153 were fou nd to be adequate (84%). The cytological results of FNA were divided i nto neoplastic and non-neoplastic groups. Subsequent histology was obt ained in 53 patients with an intraoperative frozen section (FS) in 27 patients. Papillary carcinoma was found to be the most common, account ing for 70% of the cases with histological follow up in the neoplastic group. The utility of performing FNA in all thyroid nodules and an in traoperative frozen section only in selected cases is discussed.