title: [Diagnostic relevance of fine needle aspiration cytology in nodular thyroid lesions].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid gland has been used as an initial investigative procedure of thyroid nodule(s) in the Department of Pathology at the Institute of Oncology of Vojvodina for more than 20 years. This procedure is rapid, inexpensive and technologically simple, yet it has found only limited, albeit increasing acceptance in medical practice in Serbia. The aim of the study was to evaluate our FNAC findings by correlating cytological results with histological diagnosis and to define the sensitivity, diagnostic accuracy and positive predictive value of FNAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 266 patients with thyroid swellings were aspirated in one year investigated period at our Institute out of whom 69 underwent surgery between May 2008 and May 2009. The cytological results correlated with clinical features, ultrasound investigations (US) and subsequent histopathological examination of the resected tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By the use of cytology we found out thyroid carcinoma in 10 patients, and by histopathological examination in 12. We obtained 83% sensitivity, 100% specificity and 97% of diagnostic accuracy of FNAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results confirm the importance of FNAC in preoperative assesment of thyroid nodule.
authors: Odeljenje za patologiju i citodijagnostiku, Institut za onkologiju Vojvodine, Sremska Kamenica, Srbija. susaj0613@yahoo.com
authors: Slavica
authors: S
authors: Knezević-Usaj
authors: Zivka
authors: Z
authors: Eri
authors: Milana
authors: M
authors: Panjković
authors: Istvan
authors: I
authors: Klem
authors: Tomislav
authors: T
authors: Petrović
authors: Tatjana
authors: T
authors: Ivković-Kapicl
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Karapandzić
authors: Jasmina
authors: J
authors: Jelić
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis*