Diagnosis of hematopoietic processes by fine-needle aspiration in conjunction with flow cytometry: A review of 127 cases

Although fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is accepted as the method of choice f or the initial evaluation of lymph nodes for metastatic carcinomas, iv util ity as the initial diagnostic procedure for hematopoietic processes is less established. We review our experience over a 3-year period with 127 FNA ca ses accompanied by flow cytometric (FC) analysis from 117 patients. Fifty c ases had subsequent histologic examination. A hematopoietic process was ide ntified in 85 cases, a reactive process in 27 cases, and a nonhematopoietic process in 15 cases. All non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) were B-cell processes except for one T-cell lymphoma. By FNA/FC, 44 NHL had sufficient findings to be subtyped; of these, 27 had subsequent histologic examination. The cor relation between the FNA/FC and histologic classification in these cases of NHL was 100%. One case was insufficient for diagnosis by FNA and sh cases were inadequate for FC. We conclude that FNA in conjunction with FC can be used as the initial diagnostic approach for bath primary and recurrent hema topoietic processes. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.