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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Substernal Thyroid Biopsy Using Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration
Published on: November 10, 2014
Diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration and frozen section in nodular thyroid disease
D L Mandell1, E M Genden, J I Mechanick
1Department of Otolaryngology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
Objective:
To assess the diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and frozen section (FS) in nodular thyroid disease.
Setting:
Tertiary care academic medical center.
Study Design:
Retrospective review of 139 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for nodular thyroid disease. FNA and FS sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated with respect to permanent section histology.
Results:
Among 63 patients with an FNA interpreted as either benign (n = 38) or malignant (n = 25), FNA was accurate (sensitivity 89%, specificity 97%, accuracy 94%). FS identified only one case of carcinoma missed by FNA. Among 76 patients with a "suspicious" FNA, FS was reasonably accurate (sensitivity 67%, specificity 100%, accuracy 89%), but was deferred in 50% of cases.
Conclusion:
Given high FNA accuracy, more selective use of FS is suggested.
Significance:
The study results will assist with intra-institutional patient counseling and intraoperative decision-making with respect to FNA and FS results in patients with nodular thyroid disease.
