Cytological and histopathological correlation of thyroid lesions

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Oncology
• Cytopathology

Background:

• Accurate diagnosis of thyroid lesions is crucial for appropriate patient management.
• Cytopathology is a primary diagnostic tool, but its accuracy compared to histopathology requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic accuracy of thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology against histopathological findings.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 36 thyroid cytology cases with corresponding histopathology diagnoses was performed.
• Cases were reviewed using Haematoxylin and Eosin stains and cytological smears.
• Diagnostic performance metrics including sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated.

Main Results:

• Cytological diagnosis demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.3% and specificity of 64.3%.
• Positive predictive value was 73.6%, and negative predictive value was 75%.
• Overall diagnostic accuracy of cytological diagnosis was 63.9%.

Conclusions:

• Significant concordance exists between cytological and histopathological diagnoses of thyroid lesions.
• While cytology is valuable, its limitations in specificity and accuracy warrant consideration in clinical decision-making.