Fine Needle Aspiration of Benign Thyroid Nodules

The prevalence of thyroid nodules in the general population ranges from 2% to 6%, but only 10–20% of these nodules are malignant. The clinical challenge is to identify those nodules requiring surgical management. In this clinical setting, fine needle aspiration (FNA) represents an invaluable diagnostic tool for characterizing thyroid nodules. FNA aids in identifying nodules that require surgery and decreases the overall incidence of thyroidectomy in patients with benign disease. It has found worldwide application because of its simplicity, safety, cost-effectiveness, and accuracy, with a reported sensitivity of 80–98% and specificity of 58–100%.