CORRELATION BETWEEN FNAC AND HISTOPATHOLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PALPABLE LESIONS OF HEAD AND NECK- A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Various masses can develop in the head and neck region which include growths, lumps or tumours that can arise from lymph nodes, thyroid – parathyroid glands, salivary glands and other cystic lesions like lipomas, dermoid cysts, thyroglossal cysts, skin malignancies, oral cavity lesions etc. For proper treatment of the lesion early recognition and categorization of the lesion is needed. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a cost effective, simple and quick method used to sample superficial lesions found in head and neck. Due to easy accessibility of the target site, minimally invasive nature of the procedure and great patient compliance it holds a lot of importance. The patient also finds these lesions cosmetically unacceptable. Based on the consultants request a thorough cytological and radiological investigation should be done to find the nature of the lesion.1 FNA as a procedure is non-traumatic, avoids unnecessary anaesthetic complications and the requirement of open surgery. Thus aids in preventing unnecessary use of surgery in case of benign lesions and helps use conservative treatment for these lesions.2 FNAC has proved to be one of the most valuable tests available in the initial assessment of such lesions. Thus allowing the clinician to take immediate and urgent treatment calls for the well-being of the patient.3 Despite these various advantages and usefulness, it’s been advised that FNAC cannot replace HPE since the biological material that is obtained on FNAC does not provide precise details of cellular architecture, and hence making HPE to be viewed as the gold standard for diagnosing a number of lesions4BJECTIVES: To find the correlation between Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Histopathology in the diagnosis of palpable head and neck lesions, to assess the

Page xviii efficiency of FNAC as an first line diagnostic tool in patients with swellings of head and neck and to obtain organ wise statistical analysis of all head and neck lesions.