A Clinicopathologic Study of Various Breast Lesions by Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC)

Abstract

Background: The expected and significant role of cytological diagnosis is to distinguish benign from malignant processes. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the breast has two main goals. One is to confirm a radiological and clinical benign lesion and avoid unnecessary surgery and the other is to confirm a malignant diagnosis and allow definite treatment planning. Methods: In breast lesions, rapid diagnosis by aspiration cytology can be particularly useful for allaying the apprehension and anxiety of the patient whose apparent solid mass may turn to be a cyst, thus reducing the anguish and morbidity associated with unnecessary surgical procedures. If the lesions turn out to be malignant, the patient can be referred for immediate treatment on priority so that treatment is not unnecessarily delayed. Thus, aspiration cytology is used more and more in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions of the breast. It is a cost-effective and safe method that can differentiate benign and malignant lesions accurately. In advanced carcinoma or unwilling patients for surgery, it can form the basis of management. The objective of this study was to analyze cases of FNAC of breast lesions. Results: This study was a cross-sectional study including all the patients with breast lump who attended Dhaka Community Medical college Hospital for FNAC. A total 50 cases of all ages and both sexes were included in this study. Smears made from aspirated material were collected and examined. Most of the aspirates were from females. There were more benign lesions (43 cases) as compared to malignant cases (seven cases). Fibroadenomas were the most benign lesion of breast. The age of malignant cases ranged from 21 to 60 years with a majority of cases in the age group of 41-50 years (four cases, 57.1%). Conclusion: FNAC is less time-consuming, safe, useful and highly accurate technique for breast masses and can segregate benign and malignant lesions with accuracy. Triple assessment by clinical, radiological and pathological examination is a standard approach in the evaluation of breast lumps. The clinical and radiological presentations of both benign and malignant lesions can be similar-as a hypoechoic focal mass, occasionally inflammatory lesions may mimic mass-like lesions or appears as non-homogenous regions on radiographs. Here, FNAC can play a major decisive diagnostic role and minimizing the requirement of biopsy.

Cytomorphological patterns of breast lesions among women with palpable breast lumps attending select teaching and referral hospitals in Kenya: a descriptive cross-sectional study

“…In the present study, malignant lesions were common in the age group 20-34 years, followed by 35-49 years, findings that differ from other studies [ 9 , 13 , 25 ]. According to Bukhari, women in their 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th decades of life were the most affected with ductal carcinoma [ 12 ] while Bhatnagar et al .…”

“…Globally, FNAC has been used to guide the diagnosis and follow-up of patients on treatment for breast cancer [ 11 , 12 ]. It can be of use in advanced carcinoma or in patients not willing to undergo surgery [ 13 ]. Generally, this may form the basis of management in such cases.…”

Role of clinical examination in the evaluation of patients with breast lumps: A cytopathological study

“…Additionally, the mean age of presentation was significantly higher for patients with malignancies than for those with benign lesions. This finding is similar to that of other studies performed by Rioki et al (16), Madan et al (15), Embaye et al (13) and Khanam et al (1), as they also reported the maximum incidence of cases in younger (<30 years) age group. However, the study by Singh and Tyagi (17) reported that patients aged 31 to 40 years had the most cases of breast lumps.…”

“…Moreover, the present study revealed that fibroadenoma was the most common diagnosis followed by inflammatory lesion/mastitis/abscess among the benign lesions of the breast. These findings are in agreement with those of other studies performed by Singh and Tyagi, Rioki et al (16), Madan et al (15), Qadri et al (14), Embaye et al (13) and Khanam et al (1). These authors also reported that the most common diagnosis was fibroadenoma in benign lesions (1,(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

Breast Symptoms Among Women Attendant’s to Early Detection Breast Clinic

“…In this study of 75 cases, 25(33.3%) were malignant, and50 (66.7%) were benign. Otherstudies showed 50 breast masses on FNAC and found that 7 cases (14%) were malignant and (86%) were benign 15 .Similaritystudied 757 cases on FNAC and found that most cases were benign (50.2%), followed by malignant cases(31.4%) 16 . The percentage of benign cases in our study was closer to that in Bangladesh 15 .…”