VALUE OF REPEATED FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY AND CYTOLOGIC EXPERIENCE ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THYROID-NODULES

Although fine-needle aspiration is being currently accepted as the mos t reliable method to select patients with thyroid nodules for surgery, controversy remains about the accuracy in distinguishing benign nodul es. We present our results from 636 fine-needle aspirations performed from 1984 to 1989. Our article focuses on the value of cytologic exper tise and repeated punctures for follow-up of benign nodules. We found annual figures for specificity and positive predictive value to increa se steadily from 1984 to 1989, thus suggesting that the power of the t est is proportional to the experience of the cytologist. We also state that the value of performing repeated punctures for the follow-up of unselected benign nodules is low.