Reliability of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Patients with Palpable Breast Lumps

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] in patients with palpable breast lump by taking histopathology as a gold standard. Study design: - Cross sectional study. Setting:- Department of General Surgery, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Duration: Six months from 18th April 2008 to 17th October 2008. Material and methods: All female patients between 30-55 years of age who presented with breast lump of recent onset who fulfill the inclusion exclusion criteria were admitted. A total of 74 female patients were included in the study. Results: - Most of the 40 ( ) patients were seen in the age group of 41-50 years. According to FNAC analysis, conclusive diagnosis of malignancy was made in 24 patients, while 40 lesions were labeled as benign. Pathologists were unable to commit a diagnosis in 10 lesions. Histopathology reports showed that 50 lesions out of 74 were benign as 24 were malignant. Out of benign lesions 22 were Fibroadenoma, 18 were fibrocystic disease, 8 were chronic pyogenic mastitis and two cases of tuberculosis was diagnosed. In 24 malignant cases, there were 13 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma and 11 cases of intraductal carcinoma. Conclusion: FNAC is a patient friendly, easy, reliable, repeatable and simple diagnostic test. When performed by an expert pathologist, the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC is very high.