Fine needle aspiration cytology in pancreatic pathology.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the sensitivity and specificity of pancreatic fine needle aspiration.

STUDY DESIGN

Two hundred five fine needle aspirates were obtained from 149 patients over seven years. After excluding 40 patients lacking biopsy or follow-up, 125 aspirates from 109 patients were selected to analyze the accuracy of this method. (male:female ratio, 1.4:1; age range 43-79 years).

RESULTS

The cytologic diagnosis was true positive in 50 studies (45.9%), false positive in 0, true negative in 25 (22.9%), false negative in 19 (17.4%) and suspicious for malignancy in 17 (15.6%); 14 aspirations (12.8%) yielded material unsatisfactory for a diagnosis. Of the 17 suspicious studies, 15 were from patients in whom a malignancy was confirmed later. The other two patients had chronic pancreatitis.

CONCLUSION

The efficiency was 79.8%, sensitivity 72.5%, and specificity and predictive value of a positive result 100%. Cell blocks provided sufficient material in 96.8% of cases and smears in 90.4%. No major complications were reported after fine needle aspiration.