ASSESSING THE ULTRASOUND GUIDED FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION IN DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID NODULES
Abstract
Objective: To decide the number of punctures in a biopsy procedure, Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), needed for secured cytological evaluation of thyroid nodules.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analysis was carried out at Pakistan Institute of Medical Science, Islamabad (PMIS) during the period from January to December, 2016. A total of 94 patients participated in the population study according to the inclusion criteria. The diagnosis was the focal point of the research.
Results: The participants in the study group aged around 51 years, while 86.2% among the patients were females. Since punctures were considered as an independent event, the first puncture produced decisive results in 77.5% of cases. The second and third puncture produced results in 82.1% and 73.2% of all cases relatively. With a view to increase the conclusive analysis at each puncture, two punctures have demonstrated indisputable results in 87.2% of cases, and three punctures, in 91.2% of cases with no less than one decisive result.
Conclusion: Two punctures in fine-needle desire biopsies of thyroid nodules have prompt determination in 86.2% of cases in the evaluation recommending that there is no requirement for further punctures to securely acquire the analysis of thyroid nodules.