Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy from the pancreas was carried out peroperatively in 60 patients. A suspicion of malignancy due to a palpaple mass in the pancreas was raised in 45 cases and confirmed by cytology in 27 cases. Of the remaining 18 cases in which malignancy was suspected, the majority were caused by penetrating gastroduodenal ulcers or pancreatitis. There was only one false negative cytological report among the 37 patients with available histological control. There were no complications due to the aspiration biopsy.