RESUMO
This study was carried out to evaluate the accuracy of FNAC and the role of FNAC in palpable breast lumps for the early surgical management in out patient and inpatient basis. The study was carried out in Dhaka Medical College during the period of January-December, 2000. FNAC was performed on 310 patients presented with palpable breast lumps. Histopathology was available for 122 cases. Of them, cytologically diagnosed benign cases were 106, histologically 105 cases were proved so. There was false negative diagnosis in one case. All 14 cases diagnosed as malignant cytologically proved as such histologically. Two cases reported as suspicious for malignancy one of which were proved malignant histologically. False positive diagnosis was made in one case. FNAC of breast lump was found to be associated with increased diagnostic yields. It can be carried out safely as a preoperative diagnostic method in-patients with breast lumps mostly in out-patient department.