Needle aspiration in pathology

Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology is a simple technique for the outpatient diagnosis of subcutaneous malignancies. It is most useful for breast tumours but is also an aid in the clinical assessment of thyroid, salivary glands and lymph nodes and with the use of a special needle, the prostate. This paper describes the technique, briefly reviews the criteria for malignancy, the dangers of false positive and the inevitability of false negative results. Nevertheless in a clinical context, it is a useful technique that helps clinicians and their patients.