Fine-needle aspiration cytology versus open biopsy for the diagnosis of chronic cervical lymphadenopathy

Background: For the diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy, an open biopsy is recommended. When compared to open biopsy, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is considered safe, less invasive, and cost-effective. However, its diagnostic efficacy remains in debates. This study was conducted to know that how accurately FNAC can detect the pathology as compared to an open biopsy. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic efficacy of FNAC versus open biopsy in the diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy. Methods: It is a comparative study at Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, for 6 months. The study comprised 100 patients who had been diagnosed with chronic cervical lymphoma. All of the patients underwent FNAC, which was followed by an open biopsy. Calculating the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of each technique was used to determine the diagnostic efficacy of the both techniques. Results: FNAC had a sensitivity and specificity of 92% overall. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tuberculosis, Hodgkin's lymphoma, metastatic carcinoma, reactive hyperplasia, and chronic nonspecific lymphadenopathy had a diagnostic accuracy of 96.2%, 85.7%, 100%, 87.5%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: In the management of cervical lymphadenopathy, FNAC is a reliable and safe procedure with a high diagnostic efficacy. It should be used as the first line of examination.