[Cytologic diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis]

Cytologic findings and thyroglobulin antibodies were analyzed in 46 patients with chronic Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Only one patient underwent surgery because of Hurthle adenoma, while the histopathologic diagnosis was identical to the cytologic. In all patients the cytologic findings revealed chronic thyroiditis, and in 39 patients the titer of thyroglobulin antibodies was positive or highly positive. In 7 patients the antibodies were slightly positive. In 11 patients a control punction of the thyroid gland nodule was performed as well as the control of antibodies. There were no changes in the cytologic findings, not even in cases where the titer of thyroglobulin antibodies decreased. During the four year period of study there was not a single case where the clinical findings pointed to aggravation of the disease.