title: Solitary nodular goiter. Review of cytomorphologic features in 441 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the cytomorphologic features of solitary nodular goiters (SNG).
  
  
  METHODS
  May-Grünwald-Giemsa-stained smears in 441 SNG diagnosed by ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration (FNA) and found to have optimum cellular material at review were subjected to detailed cytologic assessment. The age of the patients ranged from 11 to 75 years, with a median of 35. Male: female ratio was 69:372. The parameters for cytologic assessment included cellularity, colloid content, acinar formation, papillary formation, intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions, nuclear grooves, marginal vacuoles, Hürthle cells and various inflammatory cells. Histopathology reports on thyroidectomy specimens were available in 27 cases from two Delhi hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperplastic nodules (68 cases) differed significantly from colloid goiters (269 cases) by having more cases with excessive cellularity, acinar formation and marginal vacuoles (P < .001). There was also a significant difference with respect to papillary formation and moderate-to-excessive colloid content (P < .001). As compared to hyperplastic nodules, neoplasms (60 cases) had a significantly higher number of cases with papillary formation, intranuclear inclusions and nuclear grooves but lower number of cases with marginal vacuoles (P < .01-.001). Among neoplasms, usual papillary carcinoma (19 cases) differed from follicular neoplasms (20 cases) with respect to acinar formation, papillary formation and nuclear grooves (P < .001). A significant difference was also observed with respect to colloid content and nuclear inclusions. Follicular variant of papillary carcinomas (FVPC) (10 cases) emerged as a distinct cytologic entity following review and differed from usual papillary carcinomas in having a higher number of cases with acinar formation, tubular formation and marginal vacuoles (P < .01-.001) and lower number of cases with nuclear grooves (P = .05). FVPC also differed from follicular neoplasms with respect to papillary formation, tubular formation, intranuclear inclusions and nuclear grooves (P < .01-.001). Overall cytohistologic agreement was achieved in 24 of 27 (88.9%) cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detailed cytologic assessment of FNA smears-in SNG was helpful in highlighting parameters that differentiate between various types of goiters.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Pant
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chachra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sodhani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Thusoo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D003102:Colloids; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids