Fine-needle Aspiration Cytology of Head and Neck Lymph Nodes in a Ten-year Period - Single Center Experience.

A wide spectrum of diseases including reactive processes, infections, lymphomas and metastatic tumors can cause enlargement of lymph nodes. The present study on 4062 patients with lymphadenopathy was conducted in the Department of Cytology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, during a 10-year period. Of 4062 patients with lymphadenopathy, 1624 were males and 2438 were females, age range from several months to 85 years. Of 4062 fine needle aspiration procedures, 232/4062 (5.7%) samples were nondiagnostic. Lymph node aspirates were benign in 2640/3830 (69%) and malignant in 1190/3830 (31%) cases. Hematologic disease (Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) was diagnosed in 482/1190 (40.5%) and metastases in 708/1190 (59.5%) cases. Of 482 patients with hematologic disease, 48/482 (10%) had Hodgkin lymphomas and 434/482 (90%) non-Hodgkin lymphomas. In the group of malignant lymphadenopathy, there were 212/708 (30%) metastatic squamous cell carcinomas, 177/708 (25%) metastatic adenocarcinomas, 149/708 (21%) metastases of other carcinomas, and 170/708 (24%) metastases of other malignant tumors. The present study confirmed the fine needle aspiration cytology of enlarged head and neck lymph nodes to be an excellent first-line method to investigate the nature of the lesions.