ACCURACY OF FINE-NEEDLE BIOPSY OF SOLITAR Y THYROID-NODULES IN VIEW OF SURGICAL INDICATIONS

To evaluate the accuracy of fine-needle biopsy in the management of th e solitary thyroid nodules, 320 biopsies without aspiration were perfo rmed in 212 patients, iteratively in 91 cases. Among the 212 initial b iopsies, 93 smears were found presumably benign (43.9%), 6 malignant ( 2.8%), 49 benign implying cytologic control (23.1%), 24 suspicious wit h decision to operate (11.3%), 40 inadequate (18.9%). On 67 surgical i ndications (malignant or suspicious cytology, or clinical data), 59 op erations were performed. The II diagnosed cancers (5.2% of the patient s, 18.6% of the operations) correspond to six malignant and five suspi cious cytologies at the first or second biopsy. On 145 cases without d ecision to operate, 125 were clinically surveyed, with sometimes anoth er biopsys (mean survey: 27.6 months; range: 6-80 months), and it was never necessary to modify the intial expectancy attitude. Our results, rather similar to those related by most of the previous publications, confirm that the fine needle biopsy isa reliable and effective means for rite etiologic diagnosis of thyroid thyroid nodules and the indica tions for operative intervention. it spares many patients from a usele ss operation and is worthy to take a leading place in exploring these nodules.