Ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration (US FNA) biopsy of the thyroid gland is an established diagnostic test that is routinely used as the first step in the evaluation of nodular thyroid disease, but usually requires a patient visit to a hospital-based radiologist.

In a new study presented at the 2007 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, researchers conducted a retrospective study of several hundred office-based FNA thyroid biopsies to determine the percentage of times an adequate specimen was obtained for diagnosis of thyroid disease.

The results of the analysis, which included 447 procedures, showed that such specimens were obtained more than 92 percent of the time at the initial office visit, saving patients an additional hospital visit for this procedure.

The findings of the study suggest that US FNA can be performed in the office setting at the patient’s initial visit with the physician.

Title: Adequacy of Surgeon-Performed, Office-Based US Thyroid FNA
Authors: David L Steward, MD, Toni Marie Robinson-Smith, MD, Yuri Nikiforov
Date: Sunday, September 16, 10:58 am - 11:06 am

Information for the Media:
The AAO-HNS Annual Meeting newsroom will be located in Registration East, Street Level of the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Hours of operation: Saturday, September 15, 12 pm to 5 pm; Sunday - Tuesday, September 16 -18, 7:30 am to 5 pm; and Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 am to 2 pm. The newsroom serves as a work space for credentialed members of the media and credentialed public relations staff. The newsroom is managed and staffed by the AAO-HNS Communications Unit.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS)