Diagnostic Value of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of the Breast Mass

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Palpable breast tumors have traditionally been diagnosed with open biopsy. We propose fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology as a reliable, safe initial procedure in these patients. METHODS: We performed 248 fine needle aspiration cytologies of breast tumors during the period of from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1997 at the Department of Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital, among which 106 cases were histologically examined. RESULTS: The main clinical symptom was a palpable mass on the breast at the time of the visit to our hospital. Clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and physical examination had a sensitivity of 96.9% and a specificity of 57.5%. Based on definite histologic diagnosis, the sensitivity of FNA cytology was 96.9%, the specificity 91.7%, and the diagnostic accuracy 93.5%. Of the cytologic malignancies, 86.1% were proven malignant histologically, and 100% of the cytologically benign cases turned out histologically benign. CONCLUSION: Fine needle aspiration cytology of solid, palpable breast lesions should be the diagnostic procedure of choice for those patients classified clinically as probably benign or clinically as malignant.