Fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of superficial lymphadenopathy: An analysis of 2,418 cases

• Published in: Diagnostic cytopathology Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 382 - 386
• Main Authors: Prasad, Rama Rao Anil, Narasimhan, Raghavan, Sankaran, Vanaja, Veliath, Andrew Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-12-1996; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: aspiration; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy, Needle; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; immunocytochemistry; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphatic Diseases - pathology; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Hematologic involvement in other diseases; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; superficial lymphadenopathy; Tropical medicine; Human; Hodgkin disease; Malignant hemopathy; Inflammation; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Aspiration punction; Lymphoma; Statistical study; Infection; Pathology; Fine needle; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Adenopathy; Bacteriosis; Cytopathology
• ISSN: 8755-1039; 1097-0339
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0339(199612)15:5<382::AID-DC5>3.0.CO;2-E

During a period of 5 yr, 2,418 fine‐needle aspirations (FNA) were performed on 2,216 patients with superficial lymphadenopathy. Chronic nonspecific lymphadenitis was the commonest inflammatory lesion followed by tuberculosis. Among malignant lesions, metastatic tumors were most common followed by non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. The FNAC findings were correlated with subsequent histopathological diagnosis in 1,041 cases. The sensitivity rates of FNAC in tuberculosis, metastatic tumors, Hodgkin's disease, and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma were found to be 83.3, 97, 30, and 80.3%, respectively, the specificity being 94.3, 98.9, 98.6, and 95.4% in the same order. Immunocytochemical tests performed on the aspirated material helped in classifying the metastatic poorly differentiated tumors and confirming the diagnosis of non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. Effects of FNA on subsequent biopsy in 81 lymph nodes with benign hyperplasia were studied and showed that aspiration does not interfere with subsequent histologic assessment. Thus FNAC is a simple, inexpensive procedure, and when complemented by appropriate immunocytochemical studies is accurate and reliable for routine diagnosis of lymphadenopathy. Diagn Cytopathol 1996;15:382–386. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.