Abstract

Between October 1989-November 1991, 206 "Fine needle aspiration biopsy" FNAB were performed under ultrasounic guidance on 188 consecutive cases. The results of FNAB were compared with the histopathologic findings of these lesions in 107 patients. We found 4 carcinoma (3 of them papiller thyroid Ca and 1 metastatic Ca) in histopathologic examination and 3 of them (%75) were reported as Class-IV. The specificity of FNAB in the diagnosis of neoplastic cases was determined to be %87.4, the sensitivity to be %58.3 and the accuracy to be %84.1. We haven't seen any complications. As a result, FNAB is a safe, cost-effective and reliable diagnostic method of assesment of thyroid nodules. Lots of unnecessary operations can be prevented when FNAB is combined with other diagnostic methods, even in centers which has just begun to practice this technique.