Cytodiagnosis of lymphoid proliferations by fine needle aspiration biopsy. Adjunctive value of flow cytometry.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) complemented by flow cytometry (FC) for the diagnosis of reactive and neoplastic lymphoid proliferations and subclassification of malignant lymphomas.


METHODS
Forty-one FNABs of lymphoid lesions on which FC had been performed were evaluated retrospectively. All cases were correlated with histology or clinical follow-up.


RESULTS
Twelve FNABs were diagnosed as reactive. Eleven of the 12 were confirmed as reactive on follow-up. One was a case of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Twenty-five FNABs diagnosed as lymphoma were confirmed by histology. In 22 of these 25 cases, there was 100% correlation between the subclassification given on FNAB with FC and that given on histology. Two of the remaining cases, which were correctly called follicular center cell lymphoma, showed discrepancies in grading. One case called Hodgkin's disease on FNAB was T-cell lymphoma on histology. Of four FNABs given an inconclusive diagnosis, two were lymphoma on follow-up, and two were reactive.


CONCLUSIONS
FNAB examination, when it includes immunophenotyping by FC, is a useful technique for distinguishing reactive lymphoid proliferations from malignant lymphomas and for the subclassification of lymphomas.
Ravinsky
E
E
Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Morales
C
C
Kutryk
E
E
Chrobak
A
A
Paraskevas
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies