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FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY IN CHILDREN
Author(s) -
Orford J. E.,
Gollow I.,
Brennan B.,
Hallam L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1997.tb04580.x
Subject(s) - medicine , biopsy , malignancy , fine needle aspiration , medical diagnosis , surgery , radiology , cytology , pathology
Background : Fine needle biopsy (FNB) in children has been slow to gain acceptance compared with the use of the technique in adults where it is regarded as standard clinical practice in screening significant lymphadenopathy and suspicious masses. We report our early experience with FNB in the paediatric population. Methods : Fifty‐two biopsies were performed between June 1991 and June 1993. The age of the children ranged from 6 months to 14 years (median 2 years, mean 5 years). Results : A definite diagnosis on cytology alone was obtained in 67%. The pathologist was certain of malignant or nonmalignant potential in 79% (67% benign and 12% malignant) and unsure in 21% (17% benign and 4% malignant). There were no false positive or false negative diagnoses of malignancy. Surgical excision or biopsy was performed in 33%. Fine needle biopsy assisted in planning surgery in 12%. Surgery was necessary for a definite diagnosis in 21% and FNB assisted 42% of the patients to avoid surgery altogether. Conclusions : Fine needle biopsy is simple, minimally invasive and useful in the evaluation of children with suspicious lymph nodes and masses.