Effectiveness of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Diagnosis of Cold Thyroid Nodules

Thyroid nodules occur in 4-15% of the adult population and can be found in up to 90% of women over the age of 60 years1. However the incidence of malignancy is only 50 per million population2. The major challenge faced by a clinician is to determine whether a thyroid nodule is benign or malignant. Although certain aspects of the history and physical examination may suggest malignancy, in most cases, these are nonspecific and are of no predictive value. Tests that may help in establishing a diagnosis of malignancy include, radioisotope imaging of the thyroid, thyroid ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). It is important to evaluate thyroid nodules in a way which is not only cost-efficient but also carries the lowest margin of error.