Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Thyroid: Role as a first line investigation in children and young adults-A 5-year experience at a Medical College Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are an unpredictable group of lesions, incidence of which increases with age. Due to an increased incidence of malignancy in children as compared to adults, an aggressive approach to diagnose and manage these lesions is warranted. Aims & Objectives: The objective of present study was to evaluate the frequency of the various thyroid lesions by FNAC in children and young adults and correlate these findings with the histopathological features and thyroid hormone status. Results: The 5-year study included 280 cases, of which most were in the age group of 16-24 years (81.7%) with a female preponderance (93.9%). The benign lesions were more common with nodular colloid goitre being the most common lesion. Among the neoplastic lesions, follicular neoplasms were most common. Hormonal status was available for 250 cases, with most being euthyroid. Cyto-histopathological correlation was available in 15 cases, with 11 displaying positive correlation. The sensitivity of FNAC was 62.5%, specificity was 85.7%, diagnostic accuracy was 73.3% and positive predictive value was 83.3%. Conclusion: Currently, many investigations including diagnostic imaging studies, serological tests as well as histopathological techniques are available to evaluate thyroid lesions. However, FNAC is a reliable diagnostic procedure in children and young adults for evaluating and managing thyroid lesions. Keywords: Nodular colloid goitre, Follicular neoplasms, Paediatric, Cyto-histopathological correlation