Needle aspiration biopsy: a critical appraisal. Eight years and 3,267 specimens later
T. S. Kline and H. S. Neal
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was used to diagnose lesions from the breast,
subcutaneous nodules and lymph nodes, prostate, deep masses, lung, and
pancreas. Over an eight-year period, 3,267 specimens were examined. The
biopsy specimens were taken with 18- to 22-gauge disposable needles with
attached syringes, were fixed immediately, and were stained according to
the method of Papanicolaou. Frequently, the aspiration was done as an
office procedure. The method was essentially complication-free. The biopsy
specimen was easy to interpret, and the procedure had an overall accuracy
of approximately 90%. It should be used by all clinicians, especially on
the initial visit of the patient.
