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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Preparation and Using Phantom Lesions to Practice Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsies
Published on: September 30, 2009
Objective comparison of cellular yield in fine-needle biopsy of lymph nodes with and without aspiration
1Department of Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
Insights
Fine-needle biopsy without aspiration (FNB) yields sufficient cells for lymphoma diagnosis and special studies. This method is comparable to fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in cell adequacy for diagnostic purposes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cytopathology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Recent reports suggest needle biopsy without aspiration may be adequate for diagnosis.
- Lymphoma diagnosis often requires sufficient cellular material for both routine cytology and advanced studies like flow cytometry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively compare the cell yield of fine-needle biopsy with aspiration (FNAB) versus without aspiration (FNB).
- To determine the adequacy of cell material obtained by both techniques for diagnostic and special studies in lymphoma patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 20 superficial lymph nodes in 20 lymphoma patients.
- Collected cytology material using both FNAB and FNB techniques, with two passes per method.
- Quantified cell counts using a Coulter counter and assessed adequacy for special studies.
Main Results:
- Cell counts for FNAB ranged from 1.55-70 million (mean 19.12 M), while FNB ranged from 1.58-40 million (mean 15.48 M).
- FNAB yielded more cells in 60% of cases, but FNB yielded more cells in 40% (P = 0.9392).
- Both FNAB and FNB provided adequate cells for diagnosis and special studies in all cases.
Conclusions:
- Fine-needle biopsy without aspiration (FNB) provides an adequate number of cells for lymphoma diagnosis.
- FNB is a viable alternative to FNAB, offering sufficient cellular material for both diagnostic and special studies.
Abstract:
Recent reports have indicated that needle biopsy without aspiration obtained adequate material for diagnosis. To determine objectively the adequacy of cell yield both for diagnosis and for special studies (e.g., flow cytometry, markers), we prospectively studied 20 superficial lymph nodes in 20 patients with a history of lymphoma. In each case, the cytology materials were obtained by fine-needle biopsy techniques with (FNAB) and without (FNB) aspiration. Two needle passes for each method were placed in separate tubes of RPMI medium. With FNAB, the cell counts (determined by a Coulter counter) ranged from 1.55 to 70 million (M) per tube, mean = 19.12 M, whereas with FNB, the cell counts ranged from 1.58 M to 40 M, mean = 15.48 M (P = 0.4555). Although FNAB provided more cells in 12 cases (60%), FNB provided more cells in the remaining 8 cases (40%) (P = 0.9392). Both techniques provided adequate numbers of cells for special studies in all cases. We conclude that FNB can provide an adequate number of cells both for diagnosis and for special studies.
