ABSTRACT
The present study included 99 patients, 41 with breast masses, 28 with lymphadenopathy and 30 patients with thyroid swelling. The technique of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is hereby described. The sensitivity and specificity rates together with the positive and negative predictive values of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology were all highly satisfactory in patients with breast masses [92.3%, 100%, and 96.7% respectively] and those with lymphadenopathy [89.5%, 100% 100% and 84.6% respectively]. However, in patients with thyroid nodules, these rates were less satisfactory [66.7%, 100%, 100% and 92.9% respectively]. In all cases the paired Chi-Square test showed statistically insignificant difference between the results of the two biopsy techniques. It is concluded that FNAC can replace open surgical biopsy in most of the studied cases