[The development of ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of nonpalpable minimal thyroid tumors].
We have developed two practical adapters for the ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid tumors. The aspiration needle was easily identified on the real-time ultrasonograms. We succeeded in obtaining sufficient materials for cytologic diagnoses in 64 out of 67 minimal thyroid lesions of 10 mm or less diameter. Eight patients with nonpalpable minimal thyroid cancer were discovered by this modality. The diameter of these lesions were 7, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3 and 3 mm, respectively. None of the 20 patients with cystic fluid in the tumor showed the posterior echo enhancement known to be characteristic of the cystic tumor on ultrasonograms, and all of them were proved to have benign tumors on cytologic examinations. In conclusion, the ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy using these adapters was confirmed to be a highly valuable diagnostic tool.
Michigishi
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D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014463:Ultrasonography