Evaluation of cytological examination by aspiration biopsy for the diagnosis of chronic thyroiditis in childhood.

: To evaluate the diagnostic value of cytological study of the goiter in pediatric practice, percutaneous aspiration biopsies were performed on 22 patients. In 13 of 14 patients whose physical and serological examinations suggested chronic thyroiditis, abundant lymphoid cells including germinoblasts and germinocytes were observed in the smeared preparation of aspirated materials. A few degenerated follicular epithelial cells, reticuloendothelial cells, and plasma cells were also occasionally seen. No fibrous clements were observed. In 5 of 8 patients with simple goiter, only a few intact follicular epithelial cells were seen. The procedure was simple, well tolerated by the patients, and there were no complications. Based on these results, it was concluded that percutaneous aspiration biopsy may be one of the useful methods for the diagnosis of chronic thyroiditis in childhood.