title: Fine needle aspiration biopsy in the management of patients with deep seated metastatic and recurrent malignancies.
abstract: Fine needle aspiration (F.N.A.) is widely accepted as a safe and reliable diagnostic technique. In patients presenting with widespread metastatic disease of unknown primary origin it can play an important role in providing a rapid and accurate diagnosis and therefore allowing to institute a prompt therapeutic approach. This technique can usually be performed in an outpatient setting needing no hospitalization therefore reducing the cost both for the hospital and for the patient. When a definitive diagnosis is reached with the use of F.N.A. the patient can be spared from unnecessary surgery. A few examples are presented of patients with widespread metastatic disease in which a definitive diagnosis was reached through the use of F.N.A.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología, Universidad Central del Caribe.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez González
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary