Diagnostic Utility of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Non-thyroid Neck Masses: Correlation with Histopathology

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Neck swellings stem from various origins and require precise identification. FNAC is a quick, easy, and economical technique for assessing non-thyroid neck lumps and demonstrates a strong correlation with histopathology, although there are occasional inconsistencies. This study assesses the diagnostic precision of FNAC and its relationship with histopathology. Methods & Materials: This study was a cross-sectional study based in a hospital at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (Jan-Dec 2020) involving 100 individuals with non-thyroid neck masses. FNAC was succeeded by histopathology (gold standard), excluding incomplete cases and those involving the thyroid. Diagnostic precision was assessed through standard validity metrics and statistical analyses (p < 0.05 significant). Results: A sum of 100 patients with neck masses not related to the thyroid was assessed. Lesions in lymph nodes were the most prevalent (76%), followed by those in salivary glands (13%) and soft tissues (11%). FNAC revealed 68% benign/inflammatory and 32% malignant cases, whereas histopathology indicated 73% benign/inflammatory and 27% malignant cases. FNAC showed a strong correlation with histopathology (κ = 0.69, p < 0.001) and exhibited high diagnostic precision (85.2% sensitivity, 94.1% specificity, 87% accuracy). Conclusion: FNAC is a dependable initial test for neck masses unrelated to the thyroid, demonstrating good sensitivity, high specificity, and a robust capacity to rule out cancer. It demonstrates considerable concordance with histopathology, yet positive findings for cancer must be verified. In general, it serves as a helpful, low-impact, and economical diagnostic instrument.