Table 1.

Classification of Results of Combined Fine-Needle Aspiration and Core Biopsy

FNA result	CB result	Result coded as per Bethesda system	Usual management
Nondiagnostic	Unsuccessful procedure	Nondiagnostic	Repeat FNA with US guidance
	Nondiagnostic; no thyroid tissue present
	Nondiagnostic; scant thyroid present
Benign nodule	Macrofollicular lesion	Benign	Follow-up
Suspicious for benign nodule	Mixed, predominantly macrofollicular
Macrofollicular lesion	Subacute/granulomatous/DeQuervain's thyroiditis
Suspicious for macrofollicular lesion	Chronic/lymphocytic/Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Mixed, predominantly macrofollicular lesion	Suspicious for Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Suspicious for mixed, predominantly macrofollicular lesion	Riedel's thyroiditis
Subacute/granulomatous/DeQuervain's thyroiditis	Graves' disease
Chronic/lymphocytic/Hashimoto's thyroiditis	Normal thyroid
Suspicious for Hashimoto's thyroiditis	Benign scar/fibrosis
	Benign
Nuclear atypia	Nuclear atypia	Atypia (atypia of undetermined significance)	Repeat FNA
Mixed micro/macrofollicular lesion	Mixed micro/macrofollicular lesion	FLUS	Repeat FNA
Suspicious for mixed micro/macrofollicular lesion
Microfollicular lesion	Microfollicular lesion	FN or Susp FN	Excision
Mixed, predominantly microfollicular lesion	Mixed, predominantly microfollicular lesion
Suspicious for papillary carcinoma	Suspicious for papillary carcinoma	Suspicious for malignancy	Excision
Suspicious for carcinoma	Suspicious for Hurthle cell carcinoma
Poorly differentiated carcinoma	Papillary carcinoma	Malignant	Excision
Papillary carcinoma	Invasive carcinoma

CB, core biopsy; FLUS, follicular lesion of undetermined significance; FNA, fine-needle aspiration; Susp FN, suspicious for follicular neoplasm; US, ultrasound.