All issues > Volume 49(2); 2006

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(2):162-166. Published online February 15, 2006.

Diagnostic effectiveness of fine needle aspiration cytology on pediatric cervical lymphadenopathy

Jun Chul JC Byun¹, Byung Kyu BK Choe¹, Jin-Bok JB Hwang¹, Heung Sik HS Kim¹, Sang Sook SS Lee²

¹Departments of Pediatrics, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
²Departments of Pathology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence Heung Sik HS Kim ,Email: kimhs@dsmc.or.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: There are few reports in Korean literature on the diagnostic efficacy of fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) for pediatric cervical lymphadenopathy. This study examined the diagnostic value of FNAC on cervical lymphadenopathy in children.
Methods
: Data from 57 pediatric patients(aged 0.3 to 14 years) who underwent FNAC due to cervical lymphadenopathy between January 2001 and March 2005 was reviewed retrospectively.
Results
: Reactive cervical lymphadenitis was the most common result of the FNAC(52.5 percent). Malignant disease were revealed in 14 percent of all cases. The sensitivity, specificity was 86 percent and 96 percent, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for malignant disease was 75 percent and 98 percent, respectively. There were two false-positive cases on FNAC; one case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and another with infectious mononucleosis. A false-negative case on FNAC was found to be acute lymphocytic leukemia. In seven cases(12 percent), the final diagnosis was confirmed by an open biopsy after the FNAC. There were four FNAC cases where the specimen was not satisfactory for making a diagnosis(7 percent). There were no serious complications of the FNAC procedure.
Conclusion
: FNAC had a high diagnostic efficacy for evaluating children with cervical lymphadenopathy.

Keywords :Biopsy , Fine-Needle , Child , Lymphadenopathy , Neck