Cytomorphological study of mesenchymal spindle cell lesions of soft tissues by fine needle aspiration cytology

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine the scope of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in diagnosing mesenchymal spindle cell lesions of soft tissues. Cytological findings of 52 cases were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Conventional May- Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) staining was done in all the 52 cases. Histopathology was available in 19 cases. The cytological findings were correlated with histology in these cases. Results: Out of 52 cases, 39 were benign whereas 13 cases were malignant. Among benign spindle cell lesions, schwannoma was the commonest, followed by nodular fasciitis. Among malignant spindle cell lesions, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) was the commonest tumor. Cytological and histological correlation could be achieved in 19 cases, with an accuracy of 89.47%. The overall sensitivity and specificity was 83.33% and 92.31% respectively. Conclusion: FNAC is a simple, inexpensive and rapid method to provide a reliable diagnosis to the clinician at initial presentation in mesenchymal spindle cell lesions, especially when used in conjunction with clinical data.