A comparative study of cytomorphological features of primary and metastatic hepatic lesions - A tertiary care hospital experience

Abstract

Background: Ultrasonography (USG)-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the liver is a primary diagnostic procedure for primary and metastatic hepatic lesions. It is a minimally invasive and accurate technique and renders timely diagnosis for further management. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the cytomorphological features of primary and metastatic hepatic lesions. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care hospital over a period of 2 years. 50 cases of clinically suspicious cases for hepatic malignancy were radiologically confirmed by USG and were subjected to FNAC under USG guidance with simultaneous cell block preparation in 35 cases. Relevant biochemical and serological data were retrieved from laboratory investigation archives. Results: The study was conducted on 50 cases of hepatic lesion. Majority of cases were male patients. All liver lesions were diagnosed on USG scan. Out of 50 cases diagnosed cytomorphologically, 8 cases (16%) were diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma. Among metastatic lesions, more prevalent lesions were adenocarcinoma 20 (40%). The rest of metastatic deposits included poorly differentiated carcinoma 12 (24%), mucinous carcinoma 4 (8%), malignant lymphoma 3 (6%), neuroendocrine tumor 2 (4%), and malignant melanoma 1 (2%). Primary site for metastatic lesions was diagnosed in 22 cases (52.4%) and unknown in 20 cases (47.6%). Conclusion: FNAC is a quick, feasible, and reliable procedure which enables the interpretation of cytological features of malignant hepatic masses.

Keywords

• fine-needle aspiration cytology; hepatic masses; cytomorphology