Which Cytological Characteristics are More Valuable for Papillary Carcinoma in Thyroid Fine-needle Aspiration?

Aim: Fine-needle aspiration plays a significant role in the evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules. Several cytological criteria are defined and these primarily aim to distinguish papillary carcinoma (PC), the most common thyroid malignancy, from other benign diseases. In our study, we aimed to determine which cytologic criteria are more valuable in diagnosing PC. Methods: Patients, who had undergone thyroidectomy operation between January 2013 and December 2014 and had preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology, were screened. Among cases that were postoperatively diagnosed as benign, 62 cases and among those diagnosed as PC and papillary microcarcinoma, 24 cases were included in this study. The cytologic criteria were reassessed. In the linear regression analysis, the variables associated with the diagnosis of malignancy at the level of p