follicular cells ? ? ?

[helsurf]

can i ask a really silly question?? if part of the normal thyroid make up consists of follicular cells (which i just read makes thyroid hormone) then why do they say it's suspicious when an FNA shows follicular cells (mine said follicular cluster) and how do they get a benign result if theres always follicular cells?

i was told that my nodules showed very little thyroid tissue with follicular clusters (so they're gunna remove it)

just a bit confused as usual

Helen x x x

[helsurf]

thanks for your reply 898 :)

we don't easilly get access to our path reports etc here in the uk so i just have to go by what the endo told me and the copy of the letter that he sent to the surgeon,

on the phone he told me i needed to have both lobes removed and the surgeon agreed and in the letter it said

'follicular clusters without any of the convincingly benign features we hoped for'

sorry, every now and then i pull the letter out and read it again and get nervous again!

i'm just being silly!

x x x

[898]

These nodules could be filled with necrotic (dead tissue) as a result of thyroid hemorrhage some time in the past.

[898]

Helen,
The follicular clusters themselves are not indicating of malignancy. The actual cells are needed  to be analyzed to verify their condition.
If FNA is undiagnostic, they should cut out the frozen section of the nodulef or the test.
Lymphocytic thyroiditis is often presents clusters of benign follicular cells that are set in a background of lymphocytes.
Indicators of thyroid malignancy include the following: a hard, fixed lesion; lymphadenopathy in the cervical region; nodule greater than 4 cm; or hoarseness.