A comparative study of fine needle aspiration cytology versus non-aspiration technique in thyroid lesions

The present study was done to explore the diagnostic yield by the non-aspiration technique as compared with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of lesions in the thyroid gland. This method of non-aspiration fine needle cytology, which utilizes no active suction or aspiration, was performed on 150 patients presenting with enlargement of the thyroid gland. Smears were then cytologically assessed as unsuitable, diagnostically adequate or diagnostically superior, without knowledge of the sampling method employed. Diagnostically superior specimens were obtained significantly more frequently by the non-aspiration technique in 136 benign lesions and 14 neoplasms. Thus, the non-aspiration technique combined with FNAC can result in obtaining good quality cellular material in thyroid lesions.