Fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of superficial lymphadenopathy: a 5-year Brazilian experience.

To determine the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnostic assessment of lymphadenopathies, a retrospective study was conducted on 627 cases of FNA of the lymph nodes performed at Department of Pathology, UNIFESP (Federal University of São Paulo), between 1997 and 2001. Cytology results were compared to the results of biopsies if available. The cytological diagnosis was unsatisfactory in 14.7% of cases, positive in 46%, and negative in 39.3%. Among the positive cases, 79.4% were classified as metastases, 14.2% as lymphoma, and 6.4% as indeterminate. Anatomopathological exams for the determination of cytohistological correlation were available in 218 of the 627 cases. There were three (1.88%) false-negative and two (1.25%) false-positive cases. Accuracy tests revealed 97.41% sensitivity, 95.45% specificity, and 96.88% efficacy, with cytohistological agreement being almost perfect (kappa = 0.92). The high accuracy of this study based only on cytomorphological criteria associated to the variety of malignant neoplasias diagnosed by the procedure demonstrates its relevance on patient care, especially in areas of limited financial resources. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.