Question

A male patient presented with midline neck swelling. He later developed cervical node enlargement. The histopathology of the lesion is shown below. Which of the following statements is false about this condition?

• A. Excellent prognosis is associated with this condition
• B. It spreads quickly via lymphatics
• C. Nuclear characteristics are used for the identification
• D. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is not diagnostic

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

A male patient presented with midline neck swelling and later developed cervical lymph node enlargement. Such clinical presentation is indicative of a thyroid carcinoma, most likely papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). To understand why the statement "Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is not diagnostic" is false, let's analyze the given options:

• Excellent prognosis is associated with this condition: Papillary thyroid carcinoma generally has an excellent prognosis with a high survival rate, especially in younger patients.
• It spreads quickly via lymphatics: PTC is known to spread primarily through lymphatic channels, leading to cervical lymph node metastasis.
• Nuclear characteristics are used for the identification: PTC is identified by its characteristic nuclear features such as nuclear grooves and intranuclear inclusions seen on histopathology.
• Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is not diagnostic: This statement is false. FNAC is, in fact, a very effective and common diagnostic tool for evaluating thyroid nodules and is often used for diagnosing papillary thyroid carcinoma due to its accuracy and minimally invasive nature.

Therefore, the false statement about this condition is that "Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is not diagnostic." FNAC plays a crucial role in the initial diagnosis of thyroid nodules, including papillary thyroid carcinoma.