title: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy cytology of the breast. A review of the Groote Schuur Hospital experience.
abstract: The results of the first 1,500 cytological diagnoses of fine-needle breast aspirates performed at Groote Schuur Hospital Breast Clinic are compared with the histological diagnoses of Tru-cut and excision biopsies of the same lesions. A cytological diagnosis of malignant disease was made in 358 cases, 349 of which were confirmed histologically. The 10 false-positive and 1 false-negative diagnoses are discussed. The reliability of diagnosis in the first 500 cases is compared with that in the second and third 500 cases. There were no false-positive diagnoses in the last 500 cases, and only 3 in the second 500 cases compared with 7 in the first 500 cases. Similarly, the 1 false-negative diagnosis was made in the first 500 cases. The results confirm the reliability of fine-needle aspiration biopsy cytology as a diagnostic technique. The number of incorrect diagnoses decreases as experience with the technique increases.
authors.affiliation: Yvonne Parfit Cytology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Learmonth
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hacking
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gudgeon
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stander
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holden
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans