Is fine needle aspiration cytology appropriate for preoperatively diagnosing thyroglossal duct cysts in children under the age of 10 years?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for the preoperative preparation of children less than 10 years old suspected to have thyroglossal duct cysts (TDCs).

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed at Chonnam National University Hospital for the period of March 2005 to June 2011.

RESULTS

A total of 33 patients with midline masses were identified, 22 of whom had undergone preoperative FNAC. Seventeen of the 22 patients were pathologically diagnosed with TDC by FNAC. The remaining five patients were diagnosed with non-specific (n=3) or inflammatory lesions (n=2). All 22 patients underwent a Sistrunk operation. Ten patients had pathologically confirmed thyroglossal duct cysts. The remaining patients had dermoid cysts (n=5), ranula (n=4), or inflammatory lesions (n=3). FNAC had a diagnostic sensitivity of 70% and a positive-predictive value of 41.2% for diagnosing TDC.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that preoperative FNAC is not routinely necessary for diagnosing TDC in children especially given the concerns about possible injury, low sensitivity, and low positive-predictive value.