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- Title
The role of the cytopathologist's interpretation in achieving diagnostic adequacy of head and neck fine needle aspirates.
- Authors
Chng, C. L.; Beale, T.; Adjei‐Gyamfi, Y.; Gupta, Y.; Kocjan, G.
- Abstract
Objective We aimed to assess the potential role of interpretation by cytopathologists on the level of diagnostic adequacy of head and neck fine needle aspirations ( FNAs). Methods An audit ('first audit') was performed between 1 May 2007 and 30 April 2008 using data from three different hospitals (A, B and C). The specimens were interpreted by two cytopathologists with specific experience in head and neck pathology in hospitals A and B, and by any of the eight cytopathologists (only two of whom were experienced in head and neck cytopathology) in hospital C. Following the analysis of the initial findings, there was a change in practice in hospital C, after which specimens were also read only by two experienced cytopathologists. A new audit ('second audit') was then performed between 20 January 2011 and 20 December 2012 in the same three hospitals. Results During the first audit, the diagnostic adequacy of FNAs from hospital C was 84.2% compared with 96.6% in hospital A and 97.7% in hospital B ( P = 0.000). No significant difference in the diagnostic adequacy rate of the FNAs performed in hospitals A and B was found when comparing the first and second audits. The FNA diagnostic adequacy for hospital C increased significantly in the second relative to the first audit (95.5% versus 84.2%, P = 0.000). Conclusions Our study confirms that expert cytology interpretation is important in achieving optimal diagnostic adequacy of head and neck FNAs.
- Subjects
NEEDLE biopsy; CELLULAR pathology; HEAD tumors; THYROID gland; LYMPH nodes
- Publication
Cytopathology, 2015, Vol 26, Issue 4, p224
- ISSN
0956-5507
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/cyt.12175