title: Fine needle aspiration of thyroid: a cyto-histopathological correlation in Ramathibodi Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid lesions in Ramathibodi patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review is performed on 469 cases of thyroid surgical pathology specimens with previous FNAC reports; during January 2005 to January 2008. All histopathology reports are compared to the latest previous cytopathology results which are categorized as unsatisfactory, benign, inconclusive, borderline and malignancy
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cytopathology results showed 74 cases (15.7%) of unsatisfactory specimens, 243 cases (51.8%) of benign lesions, 33 cases (7%) of inconclusive lesions, 15 cases (3.2%) of borderline lesions and 104 cases (22%) of malignant lesions. The histopathology results for benign lesions reveal multinodular and nodular goiter of 236 cases and other diagnosis of 54 cases. The histopathology results for malignant lesions were papillary carcinoma of 147 cases, follicular carcinoma of 24 cases and other malignancy of 8 cases. Among 243 cases of benign from FNAC; 23 cases turn out to be malignancy while 104 cases of malignancy from FNAC show no false positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of FNAC are 81.9%, 100%, 100%, 90.4% and 93.4% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNAC is a minimally invasive, highly accurate and cost-effective procedure. In our setting the FNAC enable the clinician to "rule-in" malignant lesions with confidence.
authors: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand. mailtowanwisa@gmail.com
authors: Wanwisa
authors: W
authors: Himakhun
authors: Ratchadawan
authors: R
authors: Chansom
authors: Rangsima
authors: R
authors: Aroonroch
authors: Atcharaporn
authors: A
authors: Pongtippan
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology*