Differential diagnosis between follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma of the thyroid by nuclear DNA determination.

Distinction between follicular adenomas and follicular carcinomas of the thyroid using fine needle aspiration cytology presents a problem. We investigated whether Feulgen photometric nucear DNA determination could offer additional, usable information for differential diagnosis. Since both diploid carcinomas and polyploid, widely scattered adenomas and nodular colloid goiter are seen, we found that nuclear DNA determinations proved useful in differential diagnosis only for occasional special cases.