FNAC as a diagnostic tool in paediatric and adolescent lesions

Background: 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. Aim: The current study aims to evaluate the role of FNAC in pediatric and adolescent age group. Subjects and Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: 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.