Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of bone

The technique of fine-needle aspiration biopsy seems to be ideally suited for the diagnosis of lytic bone lesions at practically any location in the skeleton. The technique is simple, carries minimum risks, and can often be performed on an outpatient basis. Advances in cytological techniques have made it possible to reach an accurate diagnosis for most patients within twenty-four hours. The accuracy rate in the present study of seventy patients was 87.5 per cent, but the lesions studied included few primary bone tumors. One limitation of the technique is the difficulty in sampling a lesion that is covered by compact bone.