diagnostic role of trageted fine needle aspiration cytology of liver in malignant focal mmass lesions a cytohistological correlation

ABSTRACT

In this prospective study 50 consecutive cases of focal hepatic masses were subjected to ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] to evaluate its diagnostic efficacy in differentiating primary and secondary hepatic neoplasms [Hepatocellular carcinoma versus Metastatic deposits]. In the present series 33 cases of histologically confirmed neoplastic lesions were encountered including 24 [82.3%] cases of metastatic deposits and 9[17.7%] of hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. The sensitivity of FNAC for diagnosis of metastasis was found to be 100% and specificity was 84.6%. No false-ve cases were reported. However, morphological overlap with poorly differentiated HCC resulted in 16.6% false positive results. In cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 66.6% false negative rate was recorded, maximum discrepancy was encountered in the category of well differentiated and poorly differentiated HCC. Considering that HCC is common in our part of the world, a better expertise is needed for its cytological diagnosis in order to help the clinicians in planning and management of this focal mass and the common lesion of metastasis