Diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration biopsy in lymphadenopathy of the head and neck

Lymph nodes in the head and neck region are involved in different pathological processes – metastatic, lypmhoproliferative and inflammatory. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and define its place in the diagnostic algorithm. The results of the cytological evaluation of FNAB, confirmed with histological evaluation show that 72.8 % of space-occupying lesions of the lymph nodes were malignant, with 48.2% being metastatic. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma represented 69.1% of all lymphomas, whereas 28.3% were diagnosed as Hodgkin. Benign processes were represented almost exclusively by lymphadenitis – 93.9%. Sensitivity of malignancy was high (92.6%). FNAB had an accuracy of 79%. Specificity was low at 45.5%, mostly on account of lymphadenitis