title: Ultrasonically guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of the hepatic and pancreatic focal lesions: accuracy of cytology in the diagnosis of malignancy.
abstract: Ultrasonically guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsies were carried out on 153 patients with focal liver and pancreatic lesions, and were subsequently evaluated cytologically. A correct diagnosis of malignancy was made in 66 of 74 patients with proven hepatic malignancy, and in 38 of 41 patients with proven pancreatic malignancy, showing an overall accuracy of 92% and 94%, respectively. The specificity of the procedure was 100%. Ultrasonically guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy followed by cytological examination appears indispensable in diagnosis and differentiation between benign and malignant hepatic and pancreatic focal lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Zagreb, General Hospital Dr Josip Kajfes, Miskine, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ljubicic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilic
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bakula
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography