DELVING INTO THE THYROID LESION INCIDENCE IN FEMALE WITH CYTOHISTOLOGICAL CORRELATION - AN INTRICATE EXPLORATION

Abstract

One of the common presentation in ENT outpatient departments is swelling of neck, posing noteworthy risks if mismanaged. Thyroid swellings, being predominant, prompted our prospective study on the part of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in diagnosing them and comparing its efficacy against histopathological findings. Our findings indicate FNAC's high reliability, sensitivity, and specificity in diagnosing thyroid swellings.

 INTRODUCTION :

Neck swellings present a diagnostic challenge in ENT due to diverse causes, including common thyroid disorders. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a important and crucial for negligibly intrusive evaluation of swelling of thyroid. Our research work aims to evaluate FNAC's precision in diagnosing thyroid swellings and compare it with histopathology, validating FNAC as a reliable diagnostic tool, especially in resource-constrained settings.

 METHODOLOGY :

A prospective study was conducted at our ENT clinic involving patients with thyroid swellings. FNAC was performed on each patient, and results were compared with subsequent histopathological analysis from surgical specimens. Data on FNAC's sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy for benign and malignant thyroid swellings were analyzed using statistical methods to assess concordance with histopathology.

CONCLUSION :

Our study underscores FNAC's reliability as a primary diagnostic tool for thyroid swellings, demonstrating sensitivity and specificity comparable to histopathology. FNAC provides clinicians with a rapid and accurate means to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid conditions. This study supports FNAC's widespread adoption in clinical practice, particularly in resource-limited settings, enhancing the timely and effective management of thyroid swellings.