The Value of Cytological Examination in the Diagnosis of Noninvasive Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-like Nuclear Features (NIFTP)

Since the introduction of the concept that the noninvasive encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma does not warrant a diagnosis of carcinoma and shall be renamed noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP), many questions have arisen among thyroid cytopathologists concerning the implications of this changing paradigm on the cytological classification of thyroid nodules. Specifically, whether it is possible to diagnose NIFTP by fineneedle aspiration, how will the risk of malignancy of the diagnostic categories of thyroid cytopathology be affected, and which changes will be made to the current cytological workup of thyroid nodules. The aim of our work was to review published literature to analyze how cytopathologists are dealing with this changing paradigm in thyroid pathology and how, in turn, it is affecting their current practice.