I. Vijayabharathi1, A. Bhagyalakshmi2, J. Rajendra Prasad3, S. Satish Kumar4
INTRODUCTION: Cancer of breast is the second most common cause of cancer in women. In the present era, late marriage, late child birth, shorter period of breast feeding and nulliparity or low parity have contributed to increase in the number of cases. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a useful method for initial evaluation and diagnosis of breast cancers and it has the ability of providing necessary prognostic predictive information.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the accuracy of FNAC of breast lesions with histopathological correlation. To study the cytomorphological features of palpable breast lumps. To study the various cytological patterns in aspirates from breast lesions and to classify them into non-neoplastic, benign and malignant lesions. To correlate the cytology findings with subsequent histopathological diagnosis wherever possible. To establish accuracy and efficacy of aspiration cytology as an early and preoperative diagnostic aid. To compare the statistical analysis of present study with other contemporary studies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study includes the study of aspiration smears of all cases referred to the Department of Pathology, Andhra medical college, Visakhapatnam from various outpatient departments from King George Hospital, with a palpable breast lesion. True cut Biopsy and Mastectomy specimens for Histopathological correlation.
RESULTS: Out of 952 analyzed cases benign lesions were 691(72.58%), malignant lesions were 146(15.33%),non-neoplastic lesions were common in the age group of 21-30 years, benign lesions in 21-30 years, and malignant lesions were common in the age group of 41-50 years. Majority of the patients were female with 913(95.90%) and male patents are 39(4.09%).The results of sensitivity (97.18%), specificity (98.74%), positive predictive value (97.18%) and negative predictive value (98.74%) with diagnostic accuracy of 98.26%.
CONCLUSION: FNAC has been found to be a most valuable, cost effective and safe diagnostic procedure in the work up of breast lesions providing more direct information of underlying pathological condition. The present study support the view that FNAC of breast should be the initial diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of breast lesions to reduce the number of patients subjected to unnecessary surgical intervention.
