Spectrum Of Cytological Findings In Patients With Lymphadenopathy In Rural Population Of Southern Haryana, India - Experience In A Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Lymphadenopathy is of great clinical significance as underlying diseases may range from a treatable infectious etiology to malignant neoplasms. In fact, it is also essential to establish that the swelling in question is a lymph node. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) plays a vital role in solving these issues, nowadays being recognized as a rapid diagnostic technique because of its simplicity, cost effectiveness, early availability of results, accuracy and minimal invasion. This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of FNAC as a diagnostic tool in the management of patients with superficial lymphadenopathy. The study was also carried out to know the distribution of various lesions among the different age groups. The present randomized study was undertaken to study cytological features of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions of enlarged lymph nodes by FNAC in 182 patients presenting with lymphadenopathy in the Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha village over a period of one year from January to December 2011. There were 100 male and 82 female patients with an age range of 1 �70 years. Tuberculous lymphadenitis, reactive hyperplasia, metastatic carcinoma, suppurative lymphadenitis and lymphomas were seen in 35.7%, 31.3%, 20.3%, 9.9% and 2.7% respectively. Reactive hyperplasia was seen most often (60%) in first two decades of life, 58.9% tuberculous lymphadenitis in the second and third decades (66%) and incidence of metastatic carcinoma are high during and after 40 years of age. Cervical lymph nodes were involved in all types of lymphadenopathy. Metastatic lesions of lymph nodes were seen to be more common in males. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common metastatic lesion.