Diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology with histopathology of thyroid swellings in king Abdulaziz Medical City

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem. Currently, many diagnostic tests are used to diagnose thyroid swellings with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) being the gold standard test. However, FNAC has limitations, and a histopathology report is needed for the final diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to correlate the FNAC findings with the histopathology of the excised specimens. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of 98 patients undergoing thyroidectomy in the Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Period of study was from May 2011 to June 2014. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of FNAC for the diagnosis of solitary thyroid nodules were 55.56%, 88.73%, 65.22%, 84%, and 79.59%, respectively. Conclusion: FNA is a simple, safe, and cost-effective diagnostic modality for thyroid carcinoma. It is recommended as the first-line investigation for the diagnosis of solitary thyroid nodule.

Keywords

• fine-needle aspiration cytology
• histopathology
• thyroid