Utility of FNAC in Evaluation of Metastatic Lymphadenopathy: An Institutional Based Cytomorphological Study

Poonam Sharma; Rajat Gupta; Danish Ashraf; Subhash Bharadwaj

Volume : IX, Issue : IV, April - 2020

Utility of FNAC in Evaluation of Metastatic Lymphadenopathy: An Institutional Based Cytomorphological Study

Poonam Sharma, Rajat Gupta, Danish Ashraf, Subhash Bharadwaj

Abstract :

Background: Lymphadenopathy (LAP) remains one of the commonest clinical presentations in patients attending the OPD services of the hospital. Many Benign as well as Malignant Pathologies can present as lymphadenopathy in the body. Fine–needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an inexpensive and established method in the diagnoses of palpable lymph nodes nodes. Aim/Objectives: To evaluate the cytomorphological profile of metastatic lymph nodes and to study the site wise pattern of lymph node involvement. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Jammu for a period of one year. The FNAC slides were reviewed and cytomorphological features studied in detail. Results: The age of patients ranged from 23 years to 88 years with male to female ratio of 2.25:1. Cervical lymph node (57/78; 73.1%) was the commonest involved group followed by supraclavicular group (12/78, 15.4%) group. Squamous cell carcinoma (44/78; 56.4%) was the commonest metastatic malignancy followed by poorly differentiated carcinoma (13/78, 16.7%) and adenocarcinoma (11/78, 14.1%). Primary site of malignancy was unknown in majority of cases (56/78, 71.8%). Conclusions: FNAC is a rapid and cost–effective technique in the evaluation of peripheral LAP. It is a valuable diagnostic tool in assessment of metastatic LAP and gives early and accurate results with minimal invasion. It also reduces the need for invasive procedures like surgical biopsies and thereby reducing cost and time in making a final diagnosis.