title: Screw needle cytology of thyroid nodules is associated with a lower non-diagnostic rate compared to fine needle aspiration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is the method of choice to exclude malignancy in thyroid nodules. A major limitation of thyroid FNA is the relatively high rate (13-17%) of non-diagnostic samples. The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic yield of a screw needle compared to the conventional FNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analysed thyroid nodule cytology of all patients that underwent thyroid nodule fine needle or screw needle aspiration between July 2007 and July 2012 in a single academic medical centre. Cytology results were categorized according to the Bethesda classification system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 644 punctures of thyroid nodules from 459 patients were available for analysis. The screw needle was used 531 times, and the conventional fine needle 113 times. The percentage of non-diagnostic cytology was significantly lower in the screw needle samples than in the fine needle samples (3% vs 17%, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows a significantly better diagnostic performance of the screw needle compared to the conventional fine needle in cytology of thyroid nodules.
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Tamira K
authors: TK
authors: Klooker
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Huibers
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Klaas
authors: K
authors: In 't Hof
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Els J M
authors: EJ
authors: Nieveen van Dijkum
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Saffire S
authors: SS
authors: Phoa
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: van Eeden
authors: Departments of Endocrinology and MetabolismSurgeryAcademic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The NetherlandsDepartment of SurgeryFlevo Hospital, Almere, The NetherlandsDepartments of RadiologyPathologyAcademic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands p.h.bisschop@amc.uva.nl.
authors: Peter H
authors: PH
authors: Bisschop
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*