Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Liver Space Occupying Lesions - A Study of 57 Cases from a Tertiary Care Centre

Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology helps in diagnostic evaluation of hepatic lesions. It provides a predictive diagnosis of benign or malignant neoplasm and in many cases also of specific tumor type. In our study we are describing cytological features of liver SOL in 57 cases who came to SS hospital BHU Varanasi within two years duration. Age range was 2 years to 70 years. Primarily the diagnosis was made on conventional cytological stains (Giemsa and Pap stain). Of the total 57 cases, 54 cases (94.7 %) were diagnosed as neoplastic and three cases as non-neoplastic lesions (5.2 %). Of total 54 cases 12 neoplastic lesions (22.2 %) were diagnosed as primary hepatic malignancies in which four (7.4 %) were Hepatoblastomas and eight (14.8 %) Hepatocellular carcinomas, of which six were adult HCCs and two were pediatric HCCs. Secondary (metastatic) hepatic malignancies comprised 42 cases of total 54 neoplastic lesions (77.7 %), 34 Adenocarcinomas (63 %), 2 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) (3.7 %), 2 neuroendocrine tumours (3.7 %), 2 melanomas (3.7 %), 1 Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) (1.8 %) and 1 Anaplastic carcinoma (1.8 %). The three non-neoplastic lesions (5.3 %) included two granulomatous lesions with necrosis and one hydatid cyst. FNAC is a safe and rapid diagnostic tool for hepatic masses.