Study of image guided fine needle aspirates from lesions of liver: A two year study in a tertiary care center

Background: The liver is the most common easily accessible solid organ hence image guided FNAC is considered as an important diagnostic modality for preoperative evaluation of lesions of liver. As compared to a core biopsy, guided FNAC is a more sensitive, less invasive method with lower complication rate. Material and Methods: A two year prospective study of image guided FNAC of lesions of liver was done from May 2014 to April 2016. The study included total 51 cases which were selected irrespective of age and sex. USG or CT guided FNAC was done 22-23 gauge needle. Air dried and alcohol fixed smears were stained with Giemsa and H&E stain respectively. Results:The study included 51 cases, of which 2 cases were inadequate. In remaining 49 cases, there were 25 males and 24 female patients. Most of these patients presented in 5-7 decade of life. The cytological diagnosis included 02 cases of liver abscess, 20 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 27 cases of metastatic malignancies. Conclusion:Image guided FNAC promises a high rate of accuracy of diagnosis particularly in malignant lesions. It provides rapid and valuable morphological information essential for patient management.