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Thin‐needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of head and neck tumors
Author(s) -
Frable William J.,
Frable Mary Ann
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-197407000-00001
Subject(s) - medicine , papanicolaou stain , syringe , needle biopsy , stain , biopsy , fine needle aspiration , surgery , head and neck , radiology , vacuum aspiration , pathology , staining , cervical cancer , cancer , psychiatry , population , environmental health , family planning , research methodology
Thin‐needle aspiration biopsy was performed in 84 patients with head and neck lesions for definitive diagnosis. There were 53 cases of lymph nodes, 47 in the cervical area and six in the supraclavicular area. There were 10 salivary gland lesions and 10 thyroid masses. No false positive diagnoses of malignant tumors occurred in this entire series. The false negative rate for malignant tumors was 4.0 percent. No delay in therapy occurred in any case because the aspiration biopsy technique was used. The thin‐needle technique as described is non‐traumatic and is an out‐patient office procedure. A 22‐guage narrow diameter needle is used attached to a disposable 20 ml. plastic syringe. The syringe is held in a metal syringe holder which allows the operator to hold the syringe and apply vacuum with one hand. The other hand is used to fix the mass. Small masses, 1.0 cm. or larger are easily aspirated by this technique. The material obtained is smeared on glass slides in the manner of making a blood smear. The aspirate is semi‐fluid and should not be diluted with blood. This is accomplished by stopping the aspiration when material becomes visable in the hub of the syringe. The smears are either air‐dried or fixed immediately in 95 percent ethyl or methyl alcohol. We have found the metachrome B and Papanicolaou stain to be of most value. The metachrome B stain is done on the air‐dried smears and the diagnosis can be made in many cases in a matter of a few minutes, thus providing a rapid solution to the patient's clinical problem. Review of this and other series indicates no complications with this technique and no evidence that cells are implanted in the needle tract following aspiration of malignant tumors.