​Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology In Palpable As Well As In Non-Palpable Breast Lesions: A Study Of 430 Cases

ABSTRACT

Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an established, highly accurate, and cost-effective method for diagnosinglesions in different organs including the breast. The method is minimally invasive without unwanted side effects. At present,accurate diagnosis of breast lesions depends on a triple assessment approach that is combined clinical, radiological, andpathological diagnosis. FNAC is widely adopted for pathological diagnosis of different types of the breast lesions. In developingcountries, like India, malignant causes as well as non-malignant causes are the most common causes of breast lump. FNACproves to be a valuable tool in diagnosing these cases.Aims: This study intended to look the frequencies and various cytomorphological presentations of different lesions on FNACof breast lump.Materials and Methods: In a study period of January 2015–December 2017, in the Pathology Department, GMERS MedicalCollege, Ahmedabad, 430 patients of breast lesions for FNAC came. Those were subjected to cytological evaluation withhematoxylin and eosin, Giemsa, Papanicolaou, and Ziehl–Neelsen stained smears. We assessed the age of the patients, lesionsize, site, type of lesion, and axillary lymph node metastasis in case of malignancies. In addition, the ultrasonography/mammographyof these patients with the clinical presentation was also studied.Results: Age ranges from 13 to 100 years with a mean age of 38 years. Among the lesions, 31.86% fibroadenoma, 23.02%malignant lesions, 11.81% fibrocystic changes, and 20.23% inflammatory lesions were identified. Mean lesion size was3.37 ± 2.08 cm. 12 (12.12%) of malignant lesion cases showed metastasis in axillary lymph nodes.Conclusion: FNAC serves as a safe, rapid, economical, requiring minimal instrumentation, and highly sensitive tool forthe diagnosis of different kind of the breast lesions and ductal carcinoma. The cytomorphological examination of theselesions before operation or treatment serves as an important diagnostic modality. The sensitivity can be further increased bycomplementing with radiological and clinical findings.