Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis detects a much higher rate of thyroid tumors with clonal cytogenetic deviations of the main cytogenetic subgroups than conventional cytogenetics.

In benign thyroid lesions, three main cytogenetic subgroups, characterized by trisomy 7 or structural aberrations involving either chromosomal region 19q13.4 or 2p21, can be distinguished by conventional cytogenetics (CC). As a rule, these aberrations seem to be mutually exclusive. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (I-FISH) analysis on benign as well as malignant thyroid neoplasias has been performed in the past, but rarely in combination with CC. In the present paper, we have analyzed 161 benign thyroid lesions both with CC and I-FISH on touch preparations by using a multi-target, triple-color FISH assay as well as dual-color break-apart probes for detection of the main cytogenetic subgroups. Within the samples, I-FISH detected tumors belonging to either of the subgroups more frequently than CC (23 vs. 11.4%), either due to small subpopulations of aberrant cells or to cryptic chromosomal rearrangements (three cases). Thus, I-FISH seems to be more sensitive than CC, particularly in the detection of subpopulations of cells harboring cytogenetic aberrations that may be overlooked by CC. In summary, I-FISH on touch preparations of benign thyroid lesions seems to be a favorable method for cytogenetic subtyping of thyroid lesions.