Abstract

Enlargement of lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) is a very frequent presentation in patients of all age groups. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a rapid, simple and valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with lymphadenopathy. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the cytomorphological patterns on FNAC of enlarged lymph nodes in a tertiary care hospital during the period from June 2021 to May 2022. Materials and Methods: A total of 470 patients who presented in the cytology section of the Department of Pathology, Tezpur Medical College and Hospital for FNAC of enlarged lymph nodes and whose smears were adequate for cytological evaluation were included in the study. Results: During the course of the study period, 495 patients with enlarged lymph nodes who underwent FNAC were examined out of which smears of 470 patients were found to be adequate for evaluation and thus were included. In the study, male patients constituted 53.6% and female patients 46.3%. The age of the patients ranged from 6 months to 85 years. The majority of the cases were benign (90.8%). Cervical lymph nodes were involved in the majority (77.4%) of patients. Granulomatous lymphadenitis comprised the maximum number of cases (47.4%), followed by reactive lymphadenitis (30.8%). 39 cases of metastatic and 4 cases of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma were found among the malignant cases. Conclusion: FNAC is a quick, easy, safe, and inexpensive diagnostic tool for determining the pathology of enlarged lymph nodes

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