Fine-needle aspiration biopsy as a method for preoperative diagnosis of adrenal tumors

Abstract

The authors have studied the possibility of using fineneedle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for the diagnosis of adrenal tumors. FNAB was performed to 123 patients  according to an improved technique under ultrasound. Informativity of tumor biopsy was assessed according to standard criteria: sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.  The values of these parameters ranged within 91 to 95%. FNAB allows on preoperative stage to provide cytological characteristics of the tumor, which is important to  determine the strategy of further treatment. Among the study patients, in 56 benign tumors, and in 67 malignant ones were diagnosed, as well as tumor metastases at  other sites to adrenals.