Role of needle biopsy in thyroid nodules

The role of fine-needle aspiration cytology of thyroid nodules is analyzed in 116 cases. Forty-six percent of the patients with "cold" solid nodules were operated on with a 1% known false-negative and a 5% false-positive result. Ninety-four percent of the aspirations provided adequate cytologic material for evaluation. A new approach to the assessment and management of the thyroid nodule with fine-needle aspiration is proposed as the initial step in the evaluation.