ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to see the sensitivity of Fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] in cervical lymph nodes in patients of carcinoma of the nasopharynx. This Study was carried at the Department of ENT and Head Neck Surgery of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar Pakistan from June 2003 to May 2005. Patients between the age of 30 and 70 years were included in the study. 25 patients having cervical lymphadenopathy were selected and divided into two groups A and B. Group A includes 20 patients which were undiagnosed cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Out of them 17 patients have ENT Symptoms and 03 patients have only Cervical lymphadenopathy. Group B includes 05 patients who were post irradiated cases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma having detectable cervical lymphadenopathy. Fine needle aspiration was performed with 21 gauge needle attached with 20 ml syringe and smears were prepared. The cellularity in most of the smears was high 96%. Single scattered malignant cells were present in 92% of cases. The oval shaped vesicular neuclei were present in 92% of cases. In group B who had undergone radiotherapy showed one to three prominent nucleoli. FNAC of Cervical lymphnodes is an important diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of NPC, especially in those patients who have no ENT symptoms. It is also helpful in the follow up of post-irradiated patients