Background: Thyroid lesions are formed with different cytological patterns due to diseased thyroid gland. These are classified as non-neoplastic or neoplastic. Goitre, thyroiditis, hyperplastic nodules, simple cyst and thyroglossal cyst are forms of non-neoplastic lesions, while follicular neoplasm, papillary, medullary and anaplastic carcinomas are forms of neoplastic lesions. Thyroid lesions present as either nodules or enlargement of the gland itself.

Objective: The study was conducted to identify the various cytological patterns of thyroid lesions by FNAC.

Materials and Methods: The prospective, one-year study was conducted on 140 patients of palpable thyroid lesions in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Jammu. Cases of non-palpable thyroid lesions requiring image guided FNA were excluded from the study. Cytological diagnosis of the thyroid lesions were done and recorded after proper cytomorphological evaluation of the smears and clinical findings. The cytological results were categorised into two groups: non-neoplastic and neoplastic.

Results: Most of the patients were in their 3^rd (42; 30%) decade of life. Mean age of the patients was 38.17 years. Females dominated the males with a ratio of 5.36:1. A total of 89.29% thyroid lesions were non-neoplastic and 10.71% neoplastic. Colloid goiter was the most frequent non-neoplastic thyroid lesion observed in 51.43% patients, followed by lymphocytic thyroiditis in 28.57% patients. Neoplastic lesions included follicular neoplasm and papillary carcinoma thyroid observed in 4.29% patients each, followed by anaplastic carcinoma thyroid in 1.42% patients and medullary carcinoma thyroid in 0.71% patient. Both, non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions, were predominant in female patients.

Conclusion: For the management of thyroid lesions FNAC is an important tool management. It is simple, cost-effective technique without any major complications and can be used as a safe outpatient procedure with minimal discomfort to the patient. Cytological diagnosis can decrease the rate of unnecessary thyroid surgeries, however limitations of FNAC in interpretation of follicular neoplasm should be fully understood beforehand.

Keywords: Palpable thyroid lesions, Non-neoplastic, Neoplastic, Cytological patterns, Carcinomas.