Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid. Five years' experience with 183 patients.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) was performed on 183 patients for the purpose of evaluating thyroid nodules. Adequate specimens were obtained in 70% of 217 FNA. Definite malignant or benign results were obtained in 68% of adequate specimens. Thus, data useful for patient management were obtained in half the cases. Among the 41 patients who underwent surgery following an adequate preoperative FNA, there was one false positive and one false negative report (a patient with necrotic undifferentiated carcinoma mistaken for acute bacterial thyroiditis). The use of FNA in a routine setting is supported by these results.