FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFUSELY ENLARGED SPLEENS

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value and potential risk of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the spleen in patients with diffus e splenomegaly due to an undetermined cause. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospecti ve evaluation of the medical records and cytologic material from 58 pa tients on whom FNAB was pel formed between 1967 and 1993. RESULTS: Six ty-five FNABs were performed on 58 patients. Lymphoproliferative disea ses were found in six; in four additional cases, metastatic adenocarci noma, sarcoidosis, Candida albicans and enterococcal infection were de monstrated. The remaining 55 biopsies either showed normal splenic tis sue or were nondiagnostic. No complications were recorded. CONCLUSION: Splenic FNAB may be useful in some patients with diffuse splenomegaly . The diagnostic yield is rather low. The procedure, however, is simpl e, safe and well tolerated.