Fazali Wahid, Habibur Rehman, Qaiser Khan, Isteraj Khan Shahabi.
Diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis of non-thyroidal neck masses.
J Postgrad Med Inst Jan ;24(4):289-94.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of nonthyroidal neck masses. Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted at the Department of ENT, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from January to December 2009. Hundred patients with non-thyroidal neck masses fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Fine needle aspirations were performed by the same cytopathologist. Results: The findings were TB 31%, metastatic lymph node 19%, reactive lymphadenopathy 9%, lymphoproliferative disease 11%, pleomorphic adenoma 8%, thyroglossal cyst 5%, carotid body tumour 4%, lipoma and branchial cysts were 3% each, sialolithiasis 2% and one case each of dermoid, sebaceous cyst, adenoid cystic carcinoma, Kikuchi`s disease and Ewing`s tumour. Correlation of FNAC with biopsy was for TB; true positive, 64.5%, true negative 29.03%, false positive 3.22%, false negative 3.22% and for metastatic lymph node true positive 57.89%, true negative 36.84%, false positive 5.26% and no case of false negative. The diagnostic yield of FNAC was for TB, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 93.54%, 95.23%, 90%, 95.23% and 90% respectively. Metastatic lymph nodes accuracy sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 94.73%, 100%, 87.5%, 91.66% and 100% respectively. Overall diagnostic value of FNAC in non-thyroidal neck masses with regard to accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90%, 90%, 77.42%, 90.41%, 90.41%, and 88.89% respectively. Conclusion: Fine needle aspiration cytology for non-thyroidal neck masses has equal diagnostic yield to open biopsy.

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