What is USG Guided FNAC?
Ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is a diagnostic procedure that inserts a small needle into a suspicious mass under Ultrasound guidance to extract some cells which are then visualized under the microscope. It is used to assess small nodules or cysts in the breast, thyroid & soft tissues, enlarged lymph nodes, liver lesions etc, which are not felt / localized during a clinical examination. Small subcentimeter sized lesions may be sampled depending on the location. USG does not use ionizing radiation, has no known harmful effects and provides a clear picture of soft tissues.
Preparation and Procedure –
Your radiologist will evaluate your scans (USG, CT, MRI etc) to assess whether USG guided FNAC is possible or not. If feasible, you will be given an appointment for the same.
No special preparation is necessary for superficial lesions like those in thyroid, neck, breast etc. For deep seated lesions (liver, intra-abdominal lymphnodes etc), PT and INR tests are required to assess the risk of bleeding. FNAC can only be carried out if PT and INR are within normal range.
After cleaning the local area, a thin needle is inserted into the suspicious lesion under ultrasound guidance with all aseptic precautions. Few cells are aspirated. These are then processed in the laboratory and studied by the pathologist to generate final report.
The image shows USG guided sampling of a breast lesion.