Fine needle aspiration cytology.

Aspirations were done in 221 breasts and 32 extramammary sites with a 25 gauge needle attached to an ordinary 10 ml syringe. The aspirated material was expressed from the needle hub onto a slide, smeared by means of a second slide, air dried, and stained with a Wright-Giemsa solution. The cytologic interpretation closely correlated with the subsequent histological diagnoses. No false-positive readings were encountered. A falsely negative diagnosis was made in 11 breasts, mostly due to faulty aspiration. Widespread use of the fine needle aspiration cytology should drastically reduce the need for breast biopsies. This technic also may be used in the diagnosis of extramammary lesions.