Repeated fine-needle aspiration cytology for the diagnosis and follow-up of thyroid nodules

INTRODUCTION: The recently-proposed Bethesda reporting system has offered clinical recommendations for each category of reported thyroid cytology, including repeated fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for non-diagnostic and atypia/follicular lesions of undetermined significance, but there are no sound indications for repeated examination after an initial benign exam. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical validity of repeated FNA in the management of patients with thyroid nodules. METHOD: The present study evaluated 412 consecutive patients who had repeated aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules after an initial non-diagnostic, atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance, or benign cytology. RESULTS: The majority of patients were female (93.5%) ranging from 13 to 83 years. Non-diagnostic cytology was the most common indication for a repeated examination in 237 patients (57.5%), followed by benign (36.8%), and A/FLUS (5.6%) cytology. A repeated examination altered the initial diagnosis in 70.5% and 78.3% of the non-diagnostic and A/FLUS patients, respectively, whereas only 28.9% of patients with a benign cytology presented with a different diagnosis on a sequential FNA. CONCLUSIONS: Repeat FNA is a valuable procedure in cases with initial non-diagnostic or A/FLUS cytology, but its routine use for patients with an initial benign examination appears to not increase the expected likelihood of a malignant finding.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Graciano,Agnaldo José, Chone,Carlos Takahiro, Fischer,Carlos Augusto, Bublitz,Giuliano Stefanello, Peixoto,Ana Jacinta de Aquino
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. 2014
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-86942014000500422
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