Thyroid Citology: Complementary methods

Abstract

Objective: To describe our experience in thyroid fine needle
aspiration with thyroid ultrasound and early cytologic control, for
the evaluation of their sensitivity supporting this procedure.
Patients and methods: We reviewed the clinical records of
242 patients, who received - between January 2005 and April
2007 - 130 ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration, 126 early
cytologic examination, and 26 patients received both methods.
We also evaluated the number, size, and distribution of thyroid
nodules, ecographics characteristic, cytologic diagnosis and its
correlation with final diagnosis.
Results: It was found a higher prevalence of solitary nodes
between 1 and 4 cms, most of them in the right lobe, complex
lesions were more frequent. For the evaluation of cytologic diagnosis
they were classified as maligne, hypercelular or hypocelular
with percentages of 12 %, 81 % AND 7 % respectively. Of hyocelular
samples, 15 were ultrasound guide and 5 with early cytologic
examination. In 3 cases both methods were used. The sensitivity
of ultrasound guided aspiration was 88 %, and in the early
cytologic examination group was 96 %. A 20 % of the patients
were submitted to surgery with a correlation of cytolgic and final
diagnosis of 88 %.
Conclusions: Thyroid fine needle aspiration is a reliable
method for evaluate thyroid nodules, its sensitivity is higher when
ultrasonographic and cytologic support is utilized. Further studies
will have to evaluate its cost-benefit correlation in each case.