An evaluation of the diagnostic efficacy of fine needle aspiration biopsy in patients operated for a thyroid nodular goiter

Background Thyroid cancer (TC) comprises 1% of all carcinomas and is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. The disease is more common in women, with its peak morbidity observed in 40–50-year-old patients. The main risk factors include radiation, iodine deficiency, hereditary background, and genetic mutations. Among all diagnosed thyroid nodules, 5%–30% will evolve into cancer. The gold-standard procedure in the preoperative evaluation of a nodular goiter, apart from ultrasonography, is fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. The FNA biopsy is favored for its simplicity, safety, and high specificity and sensitivity rates.