title: Diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration biopsy of palpable colonic masses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in patients with palpable colonic masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  FNAB was performed on 32 patients with palpable colonic masses before subjecting them to colonoscopic examination. Smears prepared from the material obtained by aspiration biopsy were examined. The results of aspiration biopsy were confirmed by histopathologic examination of the tissue obtained on colonoscopy or surgery or by a salutory response to antituberculous therapy in patients with tuberculosis of the colon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine patients had carcinoma of the colon, and three had ileocecal tuberculosis. Aspiration biopsy could correctly diagnose all the cases with malignancy and two of the three cases with colonic tuberculosis. Colonoscopy could not be performed on two patients with cancer of the colon. However, a barium enema examination revealed evidence of cecal malignancy in both patients. In the two patients diagnosed as having colonic tuberculosis by FNAB, colonoscopic biopsies revealed only nonspecific changes. There were no false positive results or complications of the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNAB is a simple, rapid and accurate method of diagnosing palpable colonic masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, MLN Medical College, Allahabad, India. spmisra@nde.vsnl.net.in
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000473:pathology*