Premium
Clinical complications following thyroid fine‐needle biopsy: a systematic review
Author(s) -
Polyzos Stergios A.,
Anastasilakis Athanasios D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03522.x
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid nodules , thyroid , biopsy , intensive care medicine , surgery , radiology
Summary Thyroid fine‐needle biopsy (FNB) is a simple, reliable, inexpensive and generally safe diagnostic procedure in the management of thyroid nodules. Post‐FNB local pain and minor haematomas are the most common complications, while serious complications seem to be rare. Given that use of FNB minimizes unnecessary surgery and subsequent operative morbidity and mortality as well as the fact that the majority of FNB complications resolve spontaneously, the overall safety of FNB is not questioned. However, awareness of the potential complications and careful estimation of the risk‐benefit ratio in an individual basis may further decrease the low morbidity of FNB. In this systematic review we tried to collect and summarize all reported clinical complications following diagnostic thyroid FNB, aiming to make physicians aware of possible complications and to provide preventive measures to avoid them.