DIAGNOSTIC EFFICACY OF ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY VERSUS CELL BLOCK IN PALPABLE BREAST LESIONS.

Background: Breast masses often cause anxiety in women due to concerns about cancer. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is a common technique used to diagnose breast lumps before surgery. Cell blocks, created from the aspirates, are important for preserving cell structure and characteristics, as well as for further testing with immunohistochemistry. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of FNA and cell blocks in diagnosing breast lesions. Methods: This one-year prospective study included 90 patients with palpable breast lesions who presented at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital from December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021. FNA and cell block procedures were performed on each patient, with samples stained using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). The breast lesions were classified as malignant or benign based on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and cell block results, which were then compared with the histological diagnosis of tissue biopsies. Results: The study found that FNAC had a diagnostic accuracy of 82.5% for breast lesions, with a sensitivity of 76.0% and specificity of 98.5%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 88.9% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 82.7%. Cell blocks showed a higher diagnostic accuracy (94.0%), with a sensitivity of 95.0% and specificity of 98.5%. The PPV and NPV for cell block diagnosis were 94.1% and 91.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The cell block method is a more accurate diagnostic tool for breast tumours than FNAC. It allows for the study of tissue architecture and may eliminate the need for invasive biopsies.