Repeated fine-needle aspiration cytology for the diagnosis and follow-up of thyroid nodules

The recently-proposed Bethesda reporting system has offered clinical recommendations for each category of reported thyroid cytology, including repeated fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for non-diagnostic and atypia/follicular lesions of undetermined significance, but there are no sound indications for repeated examination after an initial benign exam. To investigate the clinical validity of repeated FNA in the management of patients with thyroid nodules. The present study evaluated 412 consecutive patients who had repeated aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules after an initial non-diagnostic, atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance, or benign cytology. The majority of patients were female (93.5%) ranging from 13 to 83 years. Non-diagnostic cytology was the most common indication for a repeated examination in 237 patients (57.5%), followed by benign (36.8%), and A/FLUS (5.6%) cytology. A repeated examination altered the initial diagnosis in 70.5% and 78.3% of the non-diagnostic and A/FLUS patients, respectively, whereas only 28.9% of patients with a benign cytology presented with a different diagnosis on a sequential FNA. Repeat FNA is a valuable procedure in cases with initial non-diagnostic or A/FLUS cytology, but its routine use for patients with an initial benign examination appears to not increase the expected likelihood of a malignant finding. A classificação de Bethesda para relatórios citológicos de tireoide oferece recomendações clínicas para cada categoria diagnóstica, incluindo a repetição do exame de punção para exames citológicos não diagnósticos (ND) e atipia/lesão folicular de significado indeterminado (A/FLUS). Todavia, a repetição da punção para pacientes com exame citológico inicial benigno ainda é discutida. Investigar a validade da punção repetida para o manejo de pacientes com nódulos tireoidianos. Estudo longitudinal histórico avaliando 412 pacientes consecutivos com biópsias aspirativas repetidas de nódulos da tireoide após exame inicial ND, A/FLUS, ou benigno. A citologia não diagnóstica foi a indicação mais comum para um exame repetido em 237 pacientes (57,5%), seguida por citologia inicial benigna (36,8%) e A/FLUS (5,6%). Um exame repetido alterou o diagnóstico inicial de 70,5% e 78,3% dos pacientes com citologia inicial não diagnóstica e A/FLUS, respectivamente, enquanto apenas 28,9% dos pacientes com uma citologia inicial benigna apresentaram um diagnóstico diferente em uma punção sequencial. Repetir a punção aspirativ