[Fine needle biopsy of cold goiter nodules (author's transl)].

Fine needle biopsy of hypofunctional, scintigraphically detected cold goiter nodules is being increasingly applied as a diagnostic method. Its diagnostic value is estimated by the results gained from 4,555 punctured patients, 1,076 of these nodules were histologically proven, and from the literature. The most important indication for the application of this method is a neoplastic lesion of the thyroid. 6.8% of 20,384 nodules were cytologically suspicious or malignant. Of 2,412 surgically controlled patients 85.5% were correctly diagnosed. Among 490 malignancies 92.1% were correctly diagnosed and 7.9% were false negatives.