A fourteen year practice with the fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid in an endemic area.

In our institute from 1970 to 1983 12,829 fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNB) of the thyroid were cytologically examined. Cytologically unsatisfactory specimens were found in 17.7%. 2,709 patients with representative cytological findings were operated and histological examinations were performed. The cytological and histological findings were correlated. There was a false-negative rate of 2.0% and a false-positive rate of 18.4%. Furthermore we divided the results into two time periods (1970-1977 and 1978-1983) because of a change in the indication for surgery in the last years. Although the indication has changed, cytological findings of both time periods investigated were almost similar.