Parathyroid adenomas: a potential source of pitfalls for thyroid FNA cytology

Abstract

The authors highlight the cytological features of parathyroid adenoma, which in conjunction with intrathyroid tumour location and absence of clinical information may lead to the erroneous diagnosis of thyroid follicular tumour. Moreover, the coexistence of dual pathology may result in misdiagnosis of a parathyroid tumour for a thyroid lesion, due to sampling error, even when ultrasound guidance for fine needle aspiration is used.