Fine Needle Aspiration

Excerpt

Whether found on personal examination, by a physician on clinical examination, or incidentally found on imaging, new growth or mass can be extremely alarming to a patient. Ensuring a quick and accurate diagnosis with minimal psychological and physical suffering on the part of the patient should be the healthcare team's highest priority. While an effective and thorough history and physical combined with advanced imaging modalities can now diagnose with a high degree of confidence, the etiology of many new masses, sometimes there is still diagnostic uncertainty. In these cases, a tissue or fluid sample is typically necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Furthermore, in the era of advanced biologic drugs and genotyping, a tissue sample combined with genetic and molecular testing may be necessary to determine the most effective treatment modality even when a diagnosis is known. Finally, in limited cases, fine-needle aspiration may be used therapeutically to remove fluid from abscesses, cysts, or seromas.