Thyroid biopsy

A thyroid biopsy is a medical procedure to take a sample of thyroid tissue for diagnosis. There are different methods of performing a thyroid biopsy. The specialists at Vedi Clinic use the fine needle biopsy (FNA - Fine Needle Aspiration) technique.

• The area of the thyroid gland to be biopsied can be localised in advance using ultrasound to ensure precise identification of the puncture site.
• The patient is usually in a supine position and the skin area around the thyroid gland is disinfected.
• The doctor or medical technician then inserts a thin needle into the thyroid tissue to take a tissue sample.
• The needle is usually connected to a syringe, which is used to create a vacuum so that a tissue sample can be aspirated into the syringe.
• Once the sample has been taken, the needle is removed and the puncture area can be protected with a dressing or bandage.

The tissue sample taken is then transferred to the laboratory, where it is carefully analysed under a microscope by a pathologist. The biopsy result can help determine whether the thyroid tissue is healthy, benign (harmless) or potentially cancerous. Based on the results of the thyroid biopsy, the doctor can decide on further management, including treatment planning or monitoring of the lesions.

Thyroid biopsy results provide important information about the thyroid tissue and are crucial in making a diagnosis and planning further management. Thyroid biopsy results can indicate a variety of conditions, including:

• Benign lesions: A biopsy can confirm that the tissue taken is benign (harmless). In this case, there are no cancer cells or other abnormalities present.
• Benign tumours: Biopsy findings may indicate the presence of benign thyroid tumours, such as colloid nodules or cysts. These tumours are usually benign and do not require aggressive treatment.
• Malignant tumours: a biopsy may reveal the presence of tumour cells in the thyroid tissue. If this is the case, further assessment is required to determine the type of tumour and its degree of malignancy.
• Autoimmune diseases: a thyroid biopsy can reveal the presence of lesions characteristic of autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's or Graves-Basedow. These findings can be useful in the diagnosis and management of these diseases.

The results of a thyroid biopsy are interpreted by a pathologist, who is a specialist in tissue analysis. The pathologist assesses the structure and characteristics of the cells in the tissue sample and tries to determine if there are any abnormalities or changes.