Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) As A Diagnostic Tool In Pediatric Lymphadenopathy

摘要

ntroduction: Lymphadenopathy is one of the commonest clinical presentations among paediatric patients, having several aetiologies and can pose as a diagnostic dilemma to a paediatrician. Therefore, it is necessary to arrive at a definitive diagnosis in order to administer proper treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic role of fine needle aspiration cytology in lymphadenopathy in the paediatric age group. Material and Methods: This study was carried out in patients up to 14 years of age, who had palpable lymph node masses. The duration of this study was 3 years. A total number of 270 cases were included in the study for cytological examination. Histopathological examination was performed in 90 patients. Both dry and wet fixed smears were prepared in all cases and were stained by MGG and Papanicolaou stains. Results: Overall, inflammatory lymphadenopathy comprised 88.5% of the total lesions of the lymph nodes; it included 56% cases of reactive hyperplasia, 28.1% cases of granulomatous lymphadenitis and 4.4% cases of acute nonspecific lymphadenitis. Malignant lesions were seen in 11.5% patients. Overall, the diagnostic accuracy of the cytological examination was 98.89% and the overall sensitivity and specificity were 91.3% and 99.1%, respectively.Conclusions: Fine needle aspiration cytology is a reliable, easy and economical technique in the diagnosis of paediatric lymphadenopathy.