Fine needle aspiration cytology of bone tumors

To study the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of bone tumors and its impact on therapeutic decisions.

A group of 122 cases of bone tumor were evaluated by FNAC. Detailed diagnoses were compared with the available histology.

Diagnostic accuracy of FNAC was 90.5% in this study. FNAC could differentiate between various round cell tumors such as Ewing's sarcoma and myeloma, among various giant cell-rich lesions of bone and between the benign and malignant chondroid bone tumors. Some uncommon variants were also correctly diagnosed. In metastatic bone tumors, the source of primary malignancy could not be indicated in the majority (52.9%) because of the poorly differentiated morphology. Osteoid or osteoid-like material was demonstrable in 63.6% cases of osteogenic sarcoma. A case of chondroblastic osteogenic sarcoma that was reported as chondrosarcoma was the only diagnostic error in the study. FNAC obviated the need of open biopsy in 63.8% patients, and therapeutic decisions were made according to the cytologic diagnoses.

FNAC plays an important role in the early diagnosis of bone tumors by its accuracy, ease of use and rapidity and is helpful in making the therapeutic decisions.