[Fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases (author's transl)]

879 fine-needle biopsies obtained from 754 patients with palpable lesions of the thyroid were evaluated. Cold nodules were identified in the scintigram of 509 patients. The cytologic findings could be checked by histology in 102 cases. 24 out of 26 malignant tumors of the thyroid were recognized cytologically. In 23 cases the tumor type was correctly identified by cytology. The cytologic report was false negative in two cases. Follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma are not distinguishable on cytologic grounds. In 14.7% of patients the cytologic report stated cystic lesions and in 1.7% of patients inflammatory lesions.