Are there complications associated with the biopsy procedure?
Some degree of discomfort is not uncommon, and some patients will develop a small bruise or hematoma, that may be tender for a few days. Rarely patients will have neck tenderness or discomfort for a few weeks after the biopsy. In many centers, local or topical anesthesia may be given to lessen the degree of pain associated with the needle puncture. Additional rare complications include infections, and very uncommonly transient impairment of the quality of the voice due to reversible damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. See Transient vocal cord paralysis after fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid tumor. Thyroid. 2006 Jul; 16(7) :697-9.
