DIAGNOSTIC-ACCURACY OF FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY IN PANCREATIC LESIONS - A REVIEW OF 77 CASES

Fine needle aspiration cytologic specimens from pancreatic lesions in 77 patients were blindly reviewed. The patients were divided into two subgroups: group A included 19 patients without malignancy of the panc reas, and group B included 58 patients with confirmed malignancy (prim ary or secondary) of the pancreas. The original cytologic diagnoses in both groups were plotted against the respective reevaluated cytologic diagnoses. In group A there were no false-positive cytologic diagnose s, neither originally nor on reevaluation. In group B, among nine case s originally diagnosed as ''benign cells,'' there were two cases diagn osed as malignant on reevaluation, while in the remaining seven cases malignant cells could not be found on reevaluation. In 11 cases in gro up B the cell material was considered insufficient for cytologic diagn osis both originally and on reevaluation. In 34 of the 58 cases (58.6% ) in group B a conclusive cytologic diagnosis of malignancy was made b oth in the original cytologic reports and on reevaluation. In this ser ies, sampling errors accounted for most false-negative cytologic diagn oses. The specificity in our series was 100%. The demonstrated sensiti vity was 59% initially and 62% on reevaluation.