The role of fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules: Analysis of 795 consecutive cases

The utility of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and physical examination for selecting patients with palpable thyroid nodules for surgery was evaluated in 795 consecutive cases. Surgery was performed in 216 patients based upon the cytological diagnosis and clinical criteria. Excluding 42 patients who were lost to follow‐up, the remaining 537 were regularly followed up (range, 2–10 years). Cytological findings were classified as malignant, histologic...