Fine-needle aspiration of supraclavicular lymph nodes.

Malignancies from many primary sites may metastasize to supraclavicular lymph nodes (SCLN). We reviewed 100 fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) of SCLNs. There were three major types of malignancy detected by this method: adenocarcinoma (n = 40), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 14), and other malignancies (n = 29). Adenocarcinomas and other malignancies from all sites tended to metastasize to the left SCLN. Squamous cell carcinomas from all sites, however, tended to appear on the right side. For 61 patients, a previous diagnosis of malignancy had been made within 1 yr of the clinical appearance of the abnormal SCLN. For 20 patients, the primary diagnosis antedated SCLN metastasis by more than 1 yr, particularly patients with adenocarcinoma of the breast, prostate, or thyroid papillary carcinoma.