Fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast with immediate reporting of the results.

The value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the breast with immediate reporting was determined in 503 consecutive aspirates. When the results of immediate and routine cytologic examination were compared, there was perfect agreement in 95.8% of the cases, with a kappa score of .92. In only 21 cases did discrepancies occur (4.2%), and when the results of FNAC were divided into normal and abnormal cytology, only four discrepancies were apparent. Provided that the results of immediately reported FNAC are interpreted in the context of clinical and mammographic findings, this approach provides a reliable diagnosis within a quarter of an hour and is therefore highly recommended.