S. Gupta et al., Sonographically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of abdominal lymph nodes: Experience in 102 patients, J ULTR MED, 18(2), 1999, pp. 135-139
We present our experience with sonographically guided fine needle aspiratio
n biopsy of abdominal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes in 102 patients. The
biopsied lymph nodes measured 1 to 6 cm (mean, 2.3 cm) and were located at
the porta hepatis (n = 23), in the peripancreatic (n = 31), paraaortic (n =
22), aortocaval (n = 1), common iliac (n = 3), or external iliac (n = 6) r
egions, or in the mesentery (n = 16). Material sufficient for cytologic ana
lysis was obtained in 87 (85.2%) of the 102 patients. The cytologic diagnos
is in these patients included malignancy in 47 patients, tuberculosis in 28
patients, reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in 10 patients, and aspergillosis
in two patients In the other 15 patients, fine needle aspiration biopsy cou
ld not provide a definitive diagnosis. No major or minor complications occu
rred in our study. Thus, sonographic guidance is an effective alternative t
o computed tomography for biopsy of abdominal and retroperitoneal lymph nod
es.