Utility of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Evaluation of Palpable Cervical Swelling: A Study of 100 Cases at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Lesions of the head and neck region are routinely encountered by clinicians, in patients across all age groups. Diagnoses range from reactive inflammatory conditions to malignancies. Cancer is among the leading causes of death in India. Head and neck cancers account for 23% of all cancer incidents in males and 6% of all incidents in females in India,. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of cervical masses is an easy, effective, and relatively inexpensive technique. The aim of this study was to determine occurrence of various head and neck swellings and classify them under various categories.

The present study included 100 cases of palpable cervical swellings who had been referred to the AMC MET Medical College, Ahmedabad (India) from June 2018 to October 2020.

The majority of cases were lymph node swellings (57%), followed by thyroid swellings (23%), salivary gland swellings (12%), and soft tissue swellings (8%). Among all cervical region swellings, tuberculous lymphadenitis and thyroid lesions were the most prevalent. 

The findings suggest that lymph node swellings are most commonly observed in the cervical area, and that the majority of them are inflammatory, requiring medical treatment rather than surgery. Moreover, FNAC is a straightforward, quick, and cost-effective way to distinguish between non-neoplastic and metastatic malignant lesions, which could help timely surgical interventions.