FNAB of metastatic lesions with special reference to clinicopathological analysis of primary site in cases of epithelial and non-epithelial tumors

AIMS: To ascertain the cytological diagnosis of metastatic lesions with special reference to the clinicopathological analysis of the primary site in cases of epithelial and non-epithelial tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy-one suspected metastatic lesions were aspirated with a 22-23G needle and the smears were fixed and stained. The cases in which the primary site was not evident at the time of initial presentation were subsequently subjected to thorough physical examination followed by radiological investigations for the search of the primary site. Histopathological examination was performed in 16 cases with inconclusive cytological impression. OBSERVATIONS: Of the total cases of metastatic lesions, 155 cases (90.6%) were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy and 16 cases (9.4%) by histopathology. The majority of the cases, 81 (47.4%), were observed in the fifth decade of life, followed by 76 cases (44.4%) in the sixth decade and 11 cases (6.4%) in the seventh decade of life. Lymph nodes were the most frequent site of metastasis in 115 cases (67.3%), with the majority in the cervical group. The oropharynx, including the oral cavity and pharyngolarynx, was observed to be the most common primary site, 55 cases (32.2%). CONCLUSION: The most critical aspect of the evaluation of metastatic cases is the accurate pathologic assessment of the malignant tissues in conjunction with pertinent clinical data. Such close collaboration between the clinician and the pathologist may maximize the diagnostic potential in treatable primary tumors.