Fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of bone tumors

Two hundred and forty osteolytic lesions were biopsied by means of a fine needle. The procedure yielded adequate material in 92 percent of the cases. A definitive diagnosis with correct cell typing was provided in 89 per cent of the adequate samples. Processing of the aspirated clot in addition, in 142 cases, provided fragments of tumour tissue in its histological milieu, a feature lost in cytologic smears. FNAC can be effectively used in the screening of various musculo-skeletal mass lesions and their management.