title: Thyroid nodules. Role of fine needle aspiration and intraoperative frozen section examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the accuracy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and intraoperative frozen section examination (IFSE) on thyroid nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 470 patients who underwent thyroidectomy. FNA was performed on 289 patients and IFSE on 326. The FNA and IFSE results were compared with the final histologic diagnosis obtained after examination of permanent sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall FNA sensitivity was 65%, specificity 88% and positive predictive value 61%. The IFSE sensitivity was 50%, and the specificity and positive predictive value were 100%. When both procedures were used together, FNA identified 16 of 45 (36%) carcinomas as malignant and an additional 13 (29%) as follicular proliferative lesions; IFSE correctly identified only 23 of 45 (51%) carcinomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNA provides enough information for determining the extent of thyroid surgery when a diagnosis of cancer is made. However, IFSE should be considered a supplementary procedure when FNA is not positive for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Puerta del Mar, University Hospital, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Diosdado
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gavilán
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Escobar-Jiménez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Girón
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Escribano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Curiel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vázquez
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis*