Role of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology as a Diagnostic Tool in Orbital and Adnexal Lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of fine needle aspiration (FNAC) as a diagnostic tool in cases of orbital and ocular adnexal masses. Cytological findings were correlated with histopathological diagnosis wherever possible.


METHODS
FNAC was performed in 29 patients of different age groups presenting with orbital and ocular adnexal masses. Patients were evaluated clinically and investigated by non-invasive techniques before fine needle aspiration of the masses. Smears were analyzed by a cytologist in all cases. Further, results of cytology were compared with the histopathological diagnosis.


RESULTS
The age of patients ranged from 1 to 68 years (mean: 29.79±19.29). There were 14 males and 15 females with a male to female ratio of 0.93:1. Out of 29 cases, 26 aspirates were cellular. Cellularity was insufficient in three (10.34%) aspirates. Out of 26 cellular aspirates, 11 were non-neoplastic while 15 were neoplastic on cytology. Subsequent histopathologic examination was done in 21/26 cases. Concordance rate of FNAC in orbital and ocular adnexal mass lesions with respect to the precise histologic diagnosis was 90%.


CONCLUSIONS
When properly used in well-indicated patients (in cases where a diagnosis cannot be made by clinical and imaging findings alone), FNAC of orbital and periorbital lesions is an invaluable and suitable adjunct diagnostic technique that necessitates close cooperation between the ophthalmologist and cytologist. However, nondiagnostic aspirates may sometimes be obtained, and an inconclusive FNAC should not always be ignored.
Department of Ophthalmology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Lubna
L
Khan
Department of Pathology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Kamal
K
Malukani
Department of Ophthalmology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Siddharth
S
Malaiya
Department of Pathology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Prashant
P
Yeshwante
Department of Ophthalmology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Saba
S
Ishrat
Department of Pathology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shirish S
SS
Nandedkar
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology; Ocular Adnexal Lesions; Orbital Lesions