Fine needle aspiration is a quick and low-risk procedure used to diagnose cancer, infections, and other diseases by extracting a small sample of tissue from a suspicious mass. It is commonly performed on palpable nodules in lymph nodes, and the sample is analyzed under a microscope by a pathologist. It can also be used to measure the success of treatment procedures.
Fine needle aspiration is a clinical procedure performed to look for signs of cancer, infection, and other types of disease in suspicious masses of body tissue. A long, thin needle is inserted into a suspected tumor and a small sample of fluid and tissue is extracted. Laboratory analysis of the tissue can help doctors confirm or rule out several medical conditions. In most cases, fine needle aspiration can be performed within minutes in an outpatient surgical clinic or hospital.
When an unusual mass or lump is discovered during a physical exam or diagnostic imaging scans, a doctor will usually decide to arrange for fine needle aspiration. Palpable nodules in lymph nodes in the neck, head, breasts, and groin are the most common sites for aspiration tests, but a doctor may want to perform the procedure on a mass elsewhere on the body if it’s close to the skin and suspect- look. Fine needle biopsies are almost always preferred to more invasive surgical procedures as the risk of infection and other complications is much lower.
Before the procedure, a specialist carefully sterilizes the skin over the mass and marks an injection site. Most fine-needle aspirations are done without anesthesia, but a doctor may want to apply a local anesthetic if the skin is tender or the patient is nervous about the needle. The hollow needle pierces the skin and enters the center of the lump. A small sample of cells is taken through the needle into a sterile syringe. The doctor then carefully removes the needle, applies pressure to the puncture wound to control any bleeding, and drapes the wound with gauze and adhesive.
The sample collected by fine needle aspiration is transferred onto a sterile laboratory slide so that it can be analyzed under a microscope. A pathologist studies the sample to check for signs of cancer, inflammation, and infection. After a diagnosis has been confirmed, a team of doctors can begin considering different treatment options.
In addition to being an important diagnostic procedure, fine needle aspiration can also be useful in measuring the success of treatment procedures. A doctor may perform an aspiration after trying to treat a tumor with radiation and chemotherapy and compare the collected tissue with the sample collected before treatment. If the new sample is free of cancer or shows signs of maturing cancer, the doctor can be sure that the treatment has been effective.
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