Fine needle aspiration of superficial masses in children and adolescence

Abstract EN

Fine-needle aspiration cytology has become increasingly popular for evaluating palpable mass in adults.

The object of this study is to investigate its uses in children and adolescence with superficial mass Design –retrospective study during 7 years from January 2002 to December 2008 cytopathological data was collected from the Ibn Sina Laboratory Subject: 112 children and adolescence with superficial mass in different anatomic sites had fine needle aspiration performed.

The age ranged was from 2 to 18 years.

Results: children represented 58 % while adolescence were 42 % of patients.

The thyroid was the most frequently aspirated 63 % than lymph nodes 28%, lower limb7% and the least aspirated was the mandible 1.7%.Overall, the majority (41%) of cytopathological findings was inflammation followed by benign 37.7% and malignant 18% inconclusive was3.5%due to inadequate material obtained The most frequent disease diagnosed in children was non specific lymph adenitis 23% followed by colloid goiter 21.5 %and lymphoma 18% while in adolescence the colloid goiter 49 %was more common than hashimoto's thyroiditis 36.2% and thyroid cyst was 6.4%.