Fine needle aspiration biopsy of metastatic lesions with special reference to clinicopathological analysis of primary site in cases of epithelial tumors

Aims and Objective : To ascertain the cytological diagnosis of metastatic lesions with special reference to clinicopathological analysis of primary site in cases of epithelial tumors. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy-one suspected metastatic lesions were aspirated with a 22-23-G needle and smears were fixed and stained. The cases in which the primary site was not evident at the time of initial presentation were subsequently subjected to thorough physical examination followed by radiological investigations for the search of the primary site. Histopathological examination was performed in 16 cases with inconclusive cytological impression. Results: Of the total 171 cases of metastatic lesions, 155 (90.6%) were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy and 16 (9.4%) were diagnosed by histopathology. Majority of the cases [81 (47.4%)] were observed in the fifth decade of life, followed by 76 cases (44.4%) in the sixth decade and 11 cases (6.4%) in the seventh decade of life. Lymph nodes were the most frequent site of metastasis [115 cases (67.3%)], with a majority in the cervical group. The oropharynx including the oral cavity and pharyngolarynx was observed to be the most common primary site in 55 cases (32.2%). Conclusion: An accurate pathologic assessment of the malignant tissues in conjunction with pertinent clinical data helps in the evaluation of metastatic cases.