The value of fine needle aspiration cytology in the management of metastatic germ cell tumours.

Review of 19 patients with advanced metastatic malignant teratomas has revealed five serious complications possibly related to the surgical biopsy procedure, three of which led to the patient's death. Preliminary results from a small series of patients diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology suggest that this procedure is a reliable alternative method for diagnosing these patients. In addition, when used after chemotherapy this procedure may save patients with residual malignancy from having to undergo post-treatment surgical staging. However, the absence of malignant cells in the aspirate cannot exclude malignancy because of the focal distribution of residual tumour in these masses.