Value of image guided fine‐needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of pancreatic malignancies

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In the period between 1981–1993, 93 image guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the pancreas were performed on 63 patients suspected of having a pancreatic carcinoma. From these, 42 patients were subsequently confirmed to have had a pancreatic malignancy by a tissue biopsy. However, FNAC was positive in 29 cases (69.04%) while seven cases (16.66%) were classified as suspicious. In six cases of malignancy (14.28%), cytologically diagnostic material was not sampled using FNAC; hence it was considered that FNAC evaluation gave false negative results in these cases. As a result of this study it was felt that while a cautious approach is necessary in view of certain false negative results, on the whole FNAC was a valuable investigation in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma with no serious complications in this series. Also, FNAC under imaging assistance is a fairly reliable and safe procedure and the false negative results may be reduced by repeat aspirations especially in cases when insufficient diagnostic material is obtained in a patient clinically suspected of a pancreatic carcinoma.