Efficacy of fine-needle aspiration cytology for a thyroid abscess in children: Two case reports

A thyroid abscess caused by acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare form of thyroid nodule, and is most common in children, particularly in the first decade of life. The echotexture of an abscess may vary depending on the extent of internal debris or hemorrhage and on the peripheral and interval vascular flow; thus, a definitive diagnosis of AST is difficult to establish. The present study reports two cases of a thyroid abscess in children caused by viridans streptococci, diagnosed using ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and bacterial culturing. FNAC of the thyroid gland may be used extensively in children for the diagnosis of AST and thyroid abscesses. In addition, FNAC is an efficient method for differentiating between benign and malignant nodules of the thyroid gland, in order to ensure that the appropriate treatment is administered.