Biopsia por aspiración con aguja fina en el Hospital Nacional de Ni？os "Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera"

aim: to evaluate the performance of fine needle aspiration biopsy (fnab) and describe the experience at hospital nacional de ni？os "dr. carlos sáenz herrera" (hnn) in san josé, costa rica during the first 21 months since introduction of this procedure. methods: retrospective review of all fnab material collected at hnn from october 2004 to june 2006 (glass slides, flow cytometric analyses, cytogenetics, and cultures). when available, previous or later surgical biopsy material was also reviewed and results were correlated with fnab. patient followup was assessed from clinical charts. results: a total of 142 diagnoses in 132 patients were performed. these were classified as follows: benign 86 (61%), malignant 36 (25%), suspicious 5 (3.5%), atypical 4 (3.5%). material insufficient for diagnosis was obtained in 10 (7%) cases. reactive-infectious lymphadenopathy comprised 74 (86%) of benign diagnoses. most common malignant diagnosis was lymphoma. new cases and recurrences of hodgkin？s disease were the most common specific malignancy 9 (25%) detected. flow cytometric analysis was performed in 17 (12%) of the cases and conventional cytogenetics in 2 (1.4%). conclusions: fnab demonstrated to be a fast, safe and efficient diagnostic tool at hnn. diagnosis of recurrence of hodgkin？s lymphoma and screening of lymphadenopathies in children without history of malignancy were the two most common clinical scenarios where fnab played an important role. fnab can obviate the need for surgical intervention in some cases.