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[The evaluation of thyroid nodules: is routine use of frozen-section examination necessary following preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy? ].

OBJECTIVES
We evaluated the role of fine-needle aspiration biopsy as a single parameter in determining the extent of thyroidectomy and the necessity of routine use of frozen-section examination in patients with nodular thyroid disease.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
We reviewed 67 patients (40 females, 27 males; mean age 44 years; range 17 to 78 years) who underwent thyroidectomy for nodular thyroid disease. Preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy and intraoperative frozen-section examination were performed in 46 patients and 40 patients, respectively. The results were compared with histopathologic diagnoses.


RESULTS
Histopathologically, 25 patients (37.3%) had malignant and 42 patients (62.7%) had benign disease. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 50%, 95%, and 77% for fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and 100%, 87%, and 91% for frozen-section examination, respectively.


CONCLUSION
In view of lower sensitivity and accuracy rates for fine-needle aspiration biopsy, the routine use of frozen-section examination seems to be necessary especially in cases with highly suggestive clinical findings of malignancy.