FNAC as a diagnostic tool in paediatric and adolescent lesions

Good number of paediatric population present with mass lesions to the routine outpatient clinic. Triaging these patients into operative candidates and non-operative candidates is important to avoid them from unnecessary surgical exposure thereby preventing complications which may arise.

The current study aims to evaluate the role of FNAC in pediatric and adolescent age group.

A retrospective study of FNAC in age group ≤ 18 years of age presenting with mass lesions was studied for 2 years. Distribution of cases in different age groups, sex, and site of lesion was analyzed. Pediatric lesions were categorized into non-neoplastic, benign, and malignant conditions. Diagnostic efficacy was assessed by comparing subsequent histopathological examination wherever possible.

FNAC was performed on 1804 cases in 2 years out of which 154 cases 8.5% (154/1804) were ≤ 18 years of age. Out of 154 cases analysed FNAC in the age group of 1 to 10 years constituted 35.7%(55/154) and in the age group of 11 to 18 years constituted 64.3%(99/154) of study population. Male to female ratio was 0.8:1, ultrasound guided aspiration constituted 1.9% of total number of cases. Most common site of FNAC was lymph node(40.2%) and the commonest finding was reactive lymphadenitis(50/62).Among the benign conditions of other sites Hashimotos thyroiditis in thyroid, Fibroadenoma in breast were the predominant findings. There were 3 malignant lesions one case each of Hodgkins lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and chondroblastoma. The cytological diagnosis concurred with the histopathological findings in all cases.

FNAC is simple reliable and cost effective diagnostic modality in paediatric and adolescent age group. It becomes even more apt in a rural tertiary health care institute because of limited resources.