Ultrasound Guided Thyroid FNA

 

What is an Ultrasound Guided Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA)? 

This procedure is used to extract cells from a thyroid nodule for a pathologist to review.  Slides will be created using those cells and will be sent to a pathologist specializing in thyroid studies for review; the pathologist will deliver a diagnosis in 3 to 4 days after the procedure.  

Prep:

There is no preparation for this exam.

What to expect: 

The neck will area will be sterilized and then numbed with lidocaine; typically once the area is numb the patient will only feel mild pressure. Under ultrasound guidance, a needle will be inserted into the thyroid lesion and cells will be extracted.