FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTODIAGNOSIS OF SUBACUTE (DEQUERVAIN) THYROIDITIS IN AN ENDEMIC GOITER AREA

Between 1977 and 1989 252 fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of the thyroid from patients with a clinical suspicion of subacute granulomatous (de Quervain's) thyroiditis were examined in the Department of Pathology o f the University of Innsbruck, Austria. In the same period 31 cases wi th preoperative FNA were diagnosed histologically as subacute thyroidi tis. Only in three of these cases were the cytological features of de Quervain's thyroiditis found in the preoperative FNA. However, in 13 o f these 31 cases a cytological suspicion of malignancy was obtained. S ubsequent histological examination revealed an acute phase inflammatio n of de Quervain's thyroiditis in most of these cases. We conclude tha t an accurate FNA diagnosis of de Quervain's thyroiditis, particularly in the acute stage, may cause difficulties due to a lack of typical f eatures and the appearance of atypical thyroid follicular cells. For t he cytopathologist, accurate clinical information relating to the poss ibility of de Quervain's thyroiditis is essential if unnecessary surge ry is to be avoided.