Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the thyroid gland: comparative analysis of experience at three hospitals.
Fine-needle cytology is an effective and accurate diagnostic method for the assessment of thyroid lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of thyroid cytology at a tertiary where cytopathologists with experience in thyroid cytology participate in the procedure and compare it with results in two community hospitals lacking pathology departments and on-site cytopathologists. A total of 1,770 specimens were diagnosed between 1998 and 2003. Of these, 425 were from the two local hospitals. The fraction of unsatisfactory specimens was 24% for submitted specimens and 9.5% for those taken in the presence of a cytopathologist. The percentage of malignant specimens was 4.1% at the tertiary center compared with 2.2% of submitted cases. These data highlight the need to centralize thyroid fine needle cytology to specialized centers with experienced cytopathologists.
Berner
Aasmund
A
Department of Pathology, Division of Cytology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, N-0310 Oslo, Norway. aasmund.berner@labmed.uio.no
Sigstad
Eva
E
Pradhan
Manohar
M
Grøholt
Krystyna K
KK
Davidson
Ben
B
D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*