Morphological Spectrum of Diseases in Patients Presenting with Enlarged Cervical lymph Nodes, Diagnosed on FNAC

ABSTRACT

Purpose of the study was to know the relative frequencies of different morphological disease patterns in patients of cervical lymphadenopathy by FNAC. A descriptive cross sectional study. Surgery and Pathology department of Pakistan Railway teaching Hospital Rawalpindi from January 2005 to October 2011. Results of fine needle aspiration cytology of patients with enlarged cervical lymphnodes was recorded. Total number of patients was 150. The male to female ratio was 1.31 [86 males and 64 females]. The maximum patients were in 11-20 years [40%], followed by 21-30 years [20%]. The youngest patient was 4 Years and the oldest was 67 years. The FNAC showed chronic granulomatous inflammation suggestive of tuberculosis [43%] as the commonest pathology, followed by reactive hyperplasia [39%], nonspecific lymphadenitis [9%], lymphoma, [5%], and metastatic carcinoma [4%]. All patients with enlarged cervical lymph nodes should be thoroughly investigated. FNAC is a reliable diagnostic tool in evaluation of lymphadenopathy. Chronic granulomatous inflammation suggesting tuberculosisis one of the major causes of enlarged cervical lymphnodes in our country