Table 3.

Sampling and specimen adequacy of fine needle aspiration cytology sample

Sample	Specimen collection	Adequacy	Diagnostic categorization	Guideline society
Thyroid	Multiple fine needle aspiration from different sites or fine needle sampling.	Different opinions • Five to six groups of well-preserved, well-visualized follicular cells with each group contains 10 or more cells. [33] • Ten clusters of follicular cells with at least 20 cells in each cluster. [34] • At least six groups of follicular cells should be present on at least two of six aspirates.[35]	• Unsatisfactory for interpretation, specific reason(s) • Benign thyroid nodule/colloid nodule/nodular goiter • Thyroiditis • Cellular follicular lesion, favor non-neoplastic process • Follicular neoplasm, favor benign • Follicular neoplasm, favor malignant • Hurthle cell neoplasm • Malignant specific type if possible • Other	Papanicolaou's society guidelines, 1996 [4]
Breast	Average 2–4 pass in palpable mass More than 2 passes in lesion difficult to stabilize or penetrate, dry tap or in suspected carcinoma.	No consensus on number of cells in a solid breast lesion. Adequacy determined by 1) opinion of the aspirator 2) opinion of the pathologist.	• Benign • Atypical/indeterminate • Suspicious/probably malignant • Malignant: specific types • Unsatisfactory Tumor/nuclear grading should be incorporated in all breast carcinomas whenever possible.	NCI sponsored conference in Bethesda, Maryland 1996 [5]