Assessing adequacy

A specimen is considered adequate for diagnosis if it contains at least six groups containing at least ten thyroid follicular cells each.

Numerical reporting system

In the UK, thyroid aspirates are reported according to the following system:

Thy1 - non-diagnostic

Thy1c - non-diagnostic, cyst fluid only (an inadequate number of follicular cells are present, with features of a cyst)

Thy2 - non-neoplastic

Thy2c - non-neoplastic, cystic lesion (features of a cyst with an adequate number of follicular cells)

Thy3a - neoplasm possible - atypia/non-diagnostic

Thy3f - neoplasm possible, suggesting follicular neoplasm

Thy4 - suspicious of malignancy

Thy5 - malignant

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