CYTOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF PALPABLE THYROID MASSES AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING RADIATION AND ISOTOPES CENTER - KARTOUM - SUDAN (Prospective study)

Abstract

This study was carried out in the Sudan ( Radiation & Isotopes center- Khartoum) to assess the value of FNAC in diagnosis of palpable thyroid masses and to improve quality of FNAC. A comparison was made between the main three cytological stains ( Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, Papanicolaou (Pap) stain and May-Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) stain ). The study was carried on 108 patients during the period from (December 2004 to December 2005). The study found that FNAC had sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 100%, in differentiation between malignant and benign thyroid palpable masses. The benign thyroid tumor conditions were 96.3 % (104 cases). While Malignant thyroid tumors were 3.7% (4cases). The mean age for our study population was 38.2 years. The females were more than males and they account for 87% of cases. 27.8% of cases were from Bagara tribe Also the major residence was the west of Sudan (35.2%). The Pap stain and H&E stain showed best stain quality concerning background and deposit .Both had total mean of 90.97% on the other hand MGG had total mean (79.3%). The Pap stain showed best stain quality concerning nuclear staining with mean of (94.03%). H&E stain came next with mean of (90.83%) and MGG came last with mean of (86.11%). The Pap stain showed best stain quality concerning cytoplasmic staining with mean of (93.61%) and H&E stain came next with mean of (88.75%). MGG came last one with mean of (83.61%). The pap stain showed the best total quality for the staining of FNAC .H&E came next and MGG came last according to our results.