title: Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of multihole fine-needle aspiration of head and neck masses.
abstract: To determine whether the specimen from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of head and neck masses has greater diagnostic accuracy when using multihole needles than when using conventional, single-hole needles, we did a prospective, randomized, single-blinded study comparing diagnoses obtained using both types of needles in FNA biopsies of head and neck masses. Eighty-eight patients served as their own controls and had 91 FNA biopsies with both multihole and single-hole, 22-gauge needles. Order of biopsy was randomized and was unknown to the cytopathologist. No statistically significant differences were noted in quantity of specimen material obtained, quality of fixation, or diagnostic value between the multihole and conventional needle. We found no advantage in using the more costly multihole needle in FNA biopsy of head and neck masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California 94611-5693, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rasgon
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hilsinger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rumore
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Puligandla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sawicki
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology