 Print page |
 Email page |
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is of limited value for detection of carcinoma in patients with a multinodular goiter
The background of the study. Multinodular goiters
are common, and one or more of the nodules can be a thyroid carcinoma.
This study was done to determine the value of biopsy of the dominant
nodule and other nodules suspected to be carcinomas in patients
with a multinodular goiter.
How the study was done. The study subjects were 432 patients with a multinodular goiter in whom the dominant nodule or a nodule suspected to be a carcinoma was biopsied. The patients then underwent thyroidectomy, and the biopsy and surgical pathology results were compared.
The results of the study. Among the 446 biopsies, 339 (76 percent) revealed benign thyroid cells, 83 (19 percent) were follicular or Hurthle-cell tumors, 22 (5 percent) were suspicious for carcinoma, and 2 contained blood. Forty-two patients (10 percent) had a carcinoma, all in the dominant or clinically suspicious nodule, and 19 patients had a carcinoma in one or more other nodules. Only 19 of the 42 carcinomas were detected by biopsy.
The conclusions of the study. In this study fine-needle aspiration biopsy was not a reliable test for detecting carcinoma in patients with a multinodular goiter.
The original article. Rios A, Rodriguez JM, Galindo
PJ, Montoya M, Tebar FJ, Sola J, Canteras M, Parrilla P. Utility
of fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis of carcinoma associated
with multinodular goitre. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2004;61:732-7.
Next Article: Thyroid radioiodine
scanning has little value in patients with thyroid carcinoma
before first radioiodine therapy |
||
| Thyroid Digest Index | | | March 2005 Thyroid Digest |
