Percutaneous Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy for the Intrathoracic Lesions: What is the Meaning of Non-Diagnostic Results?

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To know what is the meaning of non-diagnostic results of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and whether repeated aspiration is needed or not in those situations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 1845 patients who underwent FNAB from 1997 to 2001. Non-diagnostic results of the first FNAB were divided into four groups: insufficient number of cells, inflammatory cells, necrotic debris and atypical cells. We analyzed final diagnosis of 531 patients who had non-diagnostic results from the first FNAB. Among them, 207 lesions were re-biopsied because of clinical and radiologic suspicion of malignancy. The diagnostic yield of repeated FNAB was analyzed and compared with the results of the first FNAB. RESULTS: Among 255 cases with "inflammatory cells only" results, 120 cases were confirmed benignancy on follow-up. Twenty nine of 50 atypical cells (58%) were malignant on follow-up. One hundred one of 207 repeated FNAB resulted in the non-diagnostic reports, and 106 of 207 repeated FNAB were diagnosed as specific diagnosis. Among thirty lesions showing atypical cells on the repeated FNAB, 22 (73%) were identified as malignant neoplasms. CONCLUSION: When the specimen of FNAB shows atypical cells, the possibility of malignancy is very high. When the results of FNAB is non-diagnostic in the cases with clinical and radiological suspicion of malignancy, repeated FNAB procedures should be seriously considered and will be helpful for accurate specific diagnosis.