Diagnostic Accuracy Of FNAC When Compared To Histopathology In Various Lesions In A Tertiary Care Centre

Abstract

FNAC is an established rapid, cost effective minimally invasive and highly accurate method for diagnosing lesions in different organs, both superficial and deep. The  diagnostic accuracy of FNAC depend upon several factors which include site and type of lesions, experience of aspirator, quality of smear and diagnostic skills of cytopathologist. Study of FNAC diagnosis and comparison with subsequent histopathological diagnosis improves the skills of understanding and interpretation of cytological details of the FNAC. A cross sectional hospital based study was carried out on 50 selected cases with FNAC aspiration. The histological diagnosis was correlated with its subsequent histopathology to assess the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC.

The diagnostic accuracy rate in breast lesions was found to be 91.4 percent and specificity of tumour was found to be 100 percent. In lymphnodes FNAC was found out to be 96 percent sensitivity 100 percent and specificity 93.75 percent. The overall diagnostic accuracy in thyroid lesions was 87.5 percent with sensitivity 100 percent and specificity 85.7 percent. While as the diagnostic accuracy in soft tissue lesions and salivary glands was 83.3 percent and 100 percent respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of FNAC of skin nodule was found out to be 100 percent.

Our study could achieve 93 percent diagnostic accuracy of FNAC with specificity 94.93 percent and sensitivity 85.71 percent. However, we found that vascular lesions are difficult to be diagnosed on FNAC as only blood aspiration is possible. Overall, we found that FNAC has high accuracy when used together with clinical and radiological information.