Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology Of Breast Lumps With Histopathological Correlation: A Four Year And Eight Months Study From Rural India.

Abstract

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is known to be quick, simple and effective way of diagnosing Breast Lumps since long. It is also a very good financial alternative to the surgical biopsy. This study was undertaken with the aim to calculate sensitivity and specificity of fine needle aspiration cytology as diagnostic method by correlating it with histopathological findings. This was a retrospective study done in department of pathology, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College from Sept. 2007 to April 2012. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology was performed on 454 cases of Breast lumps and out of these, 56 cases were received in the department for histopathological examination. We categorized the lesions as Inflammatory, Benign, Atypical, Suspicious and Malignant on Fine Needle Aspiration and compared the result with the histological findings. We found that sensitivity and specificity of Fine Needle Aspiration were 96.42% and 100% respectively in identifying Benign and Malignant Breast Lumps. In conclusion, we found that Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is very efficacious, simple, easy and cost effective method in diagnosing breast lumps.