Evaluation of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of lymph node in Mymensingh.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is widely accepted as the accurate, sensitive, specific and cost-effective procedure in the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the results of FNAC of lymph nodes in our institutions comparing with results of histopathology. We performed 117 FNAC of lymph node in a period between November 2001 to April 2002, of which, histological results were available in 81 (69.23%). Cervical lymph nodes were 102 (87.18%) and axillary lymph nodes were 15 (12.82%). Male to female ratio of the patients was 1:0.65. Patients' age ranged from 3-80 years with a median age of 23 years. FNAC diagnosis was found to be as follows: granulomatous inflammation 46 (40.35%), reactive hyperplasia 31 (27.19%), metastatic carcinoma 20 (17.54%), Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 6(5.26%), tubercular lymphadenitis 4(3.51%), acute non-specific lymphadenitis 3(2.63%), Hodgkin's lymphoma 3(2.63%) and chronic non-specific lymphadenitis 1(0.88%). Out of 81 cases of FNAC 71(87.65%) were consisted with histopathological diagnosis of granulomatous lymphadenitis. In the malignancy of lymph node sensitivity and specificity of FNAC were 82.76% and 97.92%, respectively. So, the investigators reasonably conclude that before resort to surgical intervention FNAC may be a helpful procedure in the diagnosis of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesion of lymph nodes.