B-CELL LYMPHOMA OF THE THYROID IN HASHIMOTOS THYROIDITIS MONITORED BY FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY

An 80‐yr‐old female with a grade I diffuse goiter was diagnosed on fine‐needle aspiration cytology as having Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Two years later, she developed a hard nodular growth in the right lobe of the thyroid, which was subjected to fine‐needle aspiration and diagnosed as a non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. Immunocytology demonstrated the monoclonal B cell nature of the lesion. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and is alive and free of the disease 27 mo after surgery. Copyright © 1990 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company