Fine-needle biopsy of the thyroid gland: a cytohistological comparison in cases of goiter.

At the ENT Clinic of the Regional Hospital in Orebro, cytological investigation of fine-needle biopsy specimens has been carried out to a steadily increasing extent for more than ten years as a complement to clinical methods in investigation and laboratory tests in cases of goiter. Evaluated here are the method's diagnostic accuracy and its value in investigatory work. The material consists of 303 patients with goiter who were operated from 1964 to 1971 following fine-needle biopsy. Cases where biopsy only was undertaken are not included. Assessable cytological material was obtained in 284 cases (94%). Although not less than 15 doctors carried out the fine-needle biopsies there was approximately a 93% agreement between the cytological and histological diagnoses. In 15 of 28 cases of thyroid carcinoma it was possible to make a definite diagnosis preoperatively, while in 12 of the remaining cases atypia suspected of malignancy was found. The possibility of being able to demonstrate or suspect a carcinoma preoperatively is of greate importance for the surgeon, as a more extensive intervention can be planned in advance and the patient informed before the operation.