Fine needle aspiration cytology of thyroid lesions and classification as per the bethesda system

Abstract

Aims: The objective of this study was to analyse the thyroid cytology smears by The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC), to determine the distribution of diagnostic categories and subcategories, to analyse cytological feature, and to correlate cytopathology with histopathology wherever surgery was done. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study was undertaken in the Department of Pathology, Sharda hospital, Greater Noida for a period of one year and 6 months starting from January 2016 to June 2017. Observation and Results: The distribution of various categories from 100 evaluated thyroid nodules were as follows: TBSRTC, 3% non-diagnostic, 92% benign, 0% AUS/FLUS, 1% Follicular neoplasm, 0% suspicious for malignancy and 4% malignant. Medullary carcinoma thyroid was misdiagnosed as adenomatoid nodule and thus not included in malignant category (category-6), but included in benign category (adenomatoid nodule). Conclusions: TBSRTC is an excellent reporting system for thyroid FNA. It also provides clear management guidelines to clinicians to go for follow up FNA or surgery and also the extent of surgery. Keywords: TBSRTC- The Bethesda system of reporting thyroid cytopathology, FNAC.