On completion of this section the cytotechnologist should know:

• the anatomy and histology of the normal thyroid
• the role of the thyroid hormones and the control of their production
• the incidence of thyroid nodules and the diseases which can present as thyroid nodules
• the diagnostic tests in thyroid nodules
• the indications of thyroid fine needle aspiration
• the aspiration technique and the slide preparation methods
• the criteria for considering a specimen as adequate and the reasons why a smear may be unsatisfactory
• all the features which must be considered in the evaluation of the specimen
• the terminology for reporting results, the definition of suspicious aspirate and the Thy classification of thyroid specimens
• the benign diseases which can be diagnosed by thyroid FNA
• clinical and cytologic features of De Quervain`s thyroiditis
• epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical and cytologic features of Hashimoto`s thyroiditis
• clinical and cytologic features of multinodular goitre
• the follicular lesions and the features which can differentiate between cytologically benign and cytologically malignant follicular lesions
• classification, clinical and cytologic features of follicular adenoma
• the criteria for differentiating between nodular hyperplasia and follicular neoplasia
• clinical and cytologic features of follicular carcinoma
• the cytologic features of Hurthle cells and the cytologic appearance of Hurthle cell tumors
• the classification of the malignant tumors of the thyroid
• epidemiology, classification and cytologic features of papillary carcinoma
• the cytologic features of insular and anaplastic carcinoma
• epidemiology, clinical and diagnostic features of medullary carcinoma
• clinical and cytologic features of thyroid lymphoma
• criteria for the differential diagnosis of thyroid diseases