[Punctate cytology of benign and malignant changes in the thyroid gland (author's transl)]

80 thyroid gland aspirates obtained post-operatively were compared with 69 clinically punctured cases. The results suggest that the vast majority of cytological misdiagnoses are caused by a faulty withdrawal technique. As a contribution to the differential diagnosis of "follicular neoplasia" an attempt was made to introduce the diameter of the nucelus obtained morphometrically as a parameter of malignancy. In aspirates of highly differentiated follicular carcinomas a significantly higher percentage of thyrocytes with larger nuclear diameters are found than in benign nodular changes in the thyroid gland.