Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a well-accepted and safe diagnostic procedure for the superficial lesions of the body; however, it can also be used for intrathoracic lesions with or without radiological guidance. The objective is to study the utility of unguided transthoracic FNAC as a diagnostic aid in intrathoracic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS This descriptive study of one hundred and fifteen cases of intrathoracic lesions presenting as pulmonary nodules was done by unguided transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology (TFNAC) to assess the diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS The yield was diagnostic in 76 cases. Among the 76 cases, 64 cases were malignant lesions & 12 were non-neoplastic. There were no false positives; however, 5 cases showed false negative reports. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 90.1%, 100% and 100% respectively. Minimal complications were encountered like pain at the punctured site, blood-tinged sputum and pneumothorax in two cases. CONCLUSION Unguided TFNAC is a simple, dependable and economical procedure for the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions.
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