EFFICACY OF FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID LESIONS IN LIBYA
Abstract
Objective: To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions, by comparing the results with histopathology diagnosis.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted during the years from 2006 to 2013. Patient data were collected and details of their thyroid lesion, including clinicopathological features and FNAC findings, were recorded. A total of 200 patients, who had a clinical thyroid lesion were subjected to concurrent FNAC and surgical intervention.
Results: Out of a total of 200 patients, 51 cases had an FNAC that was unsatisfactory for evaluation. These patients were excluded from data analysis. The remaining 149 patients were included in the study. The results of the FNAC were compared with the tissue diagnosis obtained after surgical intervention. Out of 22 malignant lesions on surgical intervention, FNAC correctly diagnosed 12 and 9werediagnosed suspicious, and the remaining one was misdiagnosed as benign cytology. So false-negative being 1/22 (4.5%). Out of 66 patients diagnosed as follicular adenoma on histopathology results, FNAC picked 43 cases correctly as a benign smear. The remaining 23 cases of follicular adenoma diagnosed on histopathology were reported as suspicious on FNAC, whereas, out of 61 goiters, FNAC diagnosed 57 as benign cytology, 4 cases were suspicious as follicular neoplasia. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAC in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions were95.5% and78.7% respectively.
Conclusion: Thyroid cytology is an effective and rapid method in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases. It helps in deciding which patient needs thyroidectomy. Negative cytology results do not exclude the possibility of malignancy, as there was a false negative rate of 5.4%.
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References
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