Fine needle aspiration cytology diagnosis of liver diseases in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri.

The study is aimed at classifying liver diseases diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in our environment and to emphasize the importance of the procedure for management of our patients. Forty-two patients were referred by the physicians for fine needle aspiration cytology diagnosis in Histopathology Department, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital between January 2001 and December 2003. There were 30 males and 12 females (2.5:1) with mean age of 44.7 years. The peak age is in the 5th decade of life. The commonest hepatic disease is primary hepatic malignancy, which accounted for 78.6% (33 patients); 3 suspicious of malignancy, one case each of metastatic carcinoma, amoebic liver abscess; liver storage disease and large cell dysplasia. The technique has gained popularity in our center because it is cheap, convenient, minimally invasive, quick and has high precision in obtaining samples. We therefore recommend this procedure in centers where liver diseases are common as a means of initial investigation.