Fine needle aspiration cytology of thyroid nodules at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of thyroidal nodules diagnosed by (FNA) cytology. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)--a University of Nairobi affiliated hospital. SUBJECTS: Forty two patients seen at FNA clinic at KNH between June and August 2001. RESULTS: The female to male ratio was 7:1, with the majority in the age group 31-50 years. Overall 88.1% patients had benign FNA cytologic diagnostic results, 2.4% had a malignant, and a suspicious result respectively and 7.1% were non-diagnostic. Cytological results were as follows, nodular goiter comprised 83.3%, non-diagnostic samples 7.1%, papillary carcinoma 2.4%, atypia 2.4%, thyroglossal cyst 2.4%, and thyroiditis 2.4%. CONCLUSION: The findings are comparable in terms of sex, age and FNA cytologic diagnostic results to other studies. FNA cytology offered clinicians the possibility of early diagnosis of benign (>70%) and malignant (<5%) lesions. The test was an out-patient procedure, safe, time saving, cost effective and helped determine the course of therapy in the management of patients with thyroid nodules.