[Experiences with fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland]

It is reported on 155 fine needle aspiration biopsies of the thyroid gland which above all were performed in cold nodes. In 81.9% of the cases unconspicuous cell pictures or cystico-regressive changes were present. Of the 17 findings suspicuous of malignoma (11%) hitherto 2 could histologically be diagnosed as carcinomas and 3 as adenomas with considerable regressive changes. The additionally established frequency of nodular strumas and cold nodes in 547 scintigraphically examined patients had the results of 54% nodular strumas and 48.4% of cold nodes in the total material. In 90.2% the nodular strumas revealed cold nodes. The rate of malignomas of all preparations of operations of the thyroid gland was altogether at 2.9% subtracting the secondary malignant processes 2.4% were found. These findings as well as the positive data from literature give the fine needle aspiration biopsy an important role in supplementing the morphologic diagnostics and the early recognition of malignomas of the thyroid gland.