The cytological diagnosis of a 'benign thyroid lesion': is it a real safe diagnosis for the XXXX ?

@entity1 @entity3557 @entity189 @entity285 @entity1374
OBJECTIVE: In fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), the category of @entity1374 ( @entity1374 ), which constitutes 65-70% of all thyroid FNAC, and can be correctly diagnosed by morphology alone, is an important entity. A diagnosis of @entity1374 denotes a lesion managed with follow-up unless found in conjunction with compressive symptoms. Although this diagnosis can be quite simple, there are cases in which the scant cellular or colloid component may pose diagnostic issues. Herein, we describe the experiences of evaluating @entity1374 at two large academic institutions. We evaluated the clinical importance of a correct diagnosis of @entity1374 to define the exact inherent risk of a false-negative result (FNR). METHODS: From January 2008 through to June 2013, 506 (3.6%) out of 15 850 @entity1 with @entity1374 underwent surgery. All nodules were sampled under sonographic guidance (US) and processed either with liquid-based cytology (LBC), Diff-Quik   smears or @entity285 -Papanicolaou staining methods. RESULTS: The histological follow-up of 506 @entity1374 series included 493 benign and 13 malignant lesions. The latter group included four @entity189 ( @entity189 ), two classic variants of @entity3557 ( @entity3557 ), one macrofollicular @entity3557 and six follicular variants of @entity3557 (FVPC). The malignancy rate for the @entity1374 category was 2.5%. CONCLUSIONS: When diagnosed by expert cytopathologists, @entity1374 represents a robust diagnosis and might reduce the number of FNR. Additional diagnostic experience and a large case series could enable cytopathologists to recognise all the morphological entities of @entity1374 . An important additional aid is the extensive sampling of the lesions to reduce issues related to a low cellularity.
