Papillary thyroid carcinoma: an easy fine needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis?

Objective: To analyze reasons for unclear or missed diagnoses in fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Study Design: Among 35,000 thyroid FNAB diagnoses made during 1989-2009, 135 PTC FNAB diagnoses were divided into 3 categories by expressed probability. A group of 10 cases with histologic PTC diagnosis not mentioned in our previous FNAB sample was also analyzed.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of mixed medullary-follicular thyroid carcinoma. A report of two cases.

Background: Mixed differentiated thyroid carcinomas are rare tumors, difficult to recognize on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Most cases are diagnosed only after histologic investigation.

Cases: The cases entailed two cytologic samples and a thyroidectomy specimen.