Study of AgNOR count in FNAC of breast lesions.

ABSTRACT

Background:ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region technique has a potential value in the diagnosis of malignancy and can be used in cases with equivocal and inconclusive cytological picture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate mean ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region count and ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region Pattern Assessment score in fine needle aspirates of breast lumps.Materials and Methods: The present study consists of 80 cases of AgNOR count done in fine needle aspiration cytology of various breast lesions in patients on O.P.D. basis or those admitted in Guru Govindsingh Hospital attached to Shri M.P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar during the period between August '98 to May 2000. Fine Needle Aspiration smears were studied by conventional methods and silver staining for ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Regions. Histopathologic diagnosis was taken as the gold standard. Results:ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region count and ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region Pattern Assessment score were helpful in differentiating benign from malignant lesions. Mean ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region count and ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region Pattern Assessment score were 2.63 ± 1.36 and6.26 ± 1.19 respectively in benign lesions while they were 8.42 ± 2.53 and 10.05 ± 2.22 respectively in malignant lesions.With few exceptions, cases with high counts had high scores. Conclusion: Mean ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region AgNOR count and Subjective ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region Pattern Assessment score provide useful information regarding cellular proliferation. Both count and score have comparable diagnostic potential but the latter is a more convenient and rapid method for ArgyrophilicNucleolar Organizer Region evaluation.