Image guided fine needle aspiration cytology of hepatic lesions – Two year study in a Tertiary health care centre, Telangana (Hyderabad)

Abstract

Mass lesions of liver are generally evaluated by Fine needle aspiration (FNA). Aim of present study was to assess the utility of ultrasound guided FNA cytology in the diagnosis of hepatic lesions and to study the cytomorphological features of these lesions and to categorise them as inflammatory, benign and malignant Patients who have been admitted during a period between 2018 to 2021 February with suspected liver diseases were subjected to ultrasound guided FNAC and cytological assessment. Fine needle aspirations of liver were performed on 39 patients. Out of which 26 were suspected by malignant lesions and 13 of non-neoplastic lesions. Of the 39 aspirations performed on patients with suspected malignancy, 26 were diagnosed as positive (66.66%). Among other 13 non- neoplastic lesions only 6 were diagnosed positive under cytological examination by FNAC (46.15%). This could be due to more yield of material in malignant lesions than non-neoplastic lesions of liver and technical expertise of FNA In most of the cases Cytomorphological study of Hepatic masses by fine needle aspiration yields an accurate diagnosis but in some cases correlation with other investigations and ancillary studies are required for definitive diagnosis.