Table 1.
The National Cancer Institute’s suggested fine-needle aspiration (FNA) terminology and the risk of malignancy based on the cytopathologic result
| FNA Result | Alternate Accepted Nomenclature | Risk of Malignancy (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Benign | — | <1 |
| Atypia of undetermined significance |
Atypical lesion of undetermined significance, follicular lesion of undetermined significance, indeterminate follicular lesion, atypical follicular lesion |
5–15 |
| Neoplasm | Suspicious for neoplasm, follicular neoplasm |
20–30 |
| Suspicious for malignancy | — | 50–75 |
| Malignant | — | 100 |
| Nondiagnostic | Unsatisfactory | — |