BACKGROUND: Preoperative ultrasound (US) and eventually US-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of suspicious axillary lymph nodes ( @entity16292 ) is a standard procedure in the work-up of suspicious breast lesions. Preoperative US FNAC may prevent sentinel node biopsy (SNB) procedure in 24-30% of @entity1 with early stage @entity0 . The aim of this study was to evaluate the institutional results of this preoperative diagnostic procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 182 cases of preoperative FNAC of suspicious @entity16292 where retrieved from the pathology files. The results were compared with the final histology and staging. @entity2849 ( @entity2849 ) FNAC cases were reviewed and possibly missed metastatic cases (2) were immunostained with the epithelial marker @entity1325 / @entity1326 . RESULTS: There were no false positives, whereas 16 cases were @entity2849 . In all but one case the @entity2849 's represented sampling error. Half of the 16 @entity2849 cases in this series were macrometastases. DISCUSSION: About 83% of the preoperatively aspirated cases were N+, indicating that a radiologically suspicious @entity16292 has a very high risk of being metastatic. Preoperative US guided FNAC from radiologically suspicious @entity16292 is highly efficient in detecting @entity3 . Depending on national guidelines, a preoperative, positive @entity16292 FNAC might help to stratify the @entity1 as to SNB and/or @entity16292 dissection.

The value of preoperative ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of radiologically suspicious axillary lymph nodes in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity0 :: ('MESH:D001943', 'Disease') :: ['breast carcinoma'] @entity1326 :: ('6508', 'Gene') :: ['AE3'] @entity1325 :: ('6521', 'Gene') :: ['AE1'] @entity16292 :: ('CHEBI:50878', 'Chemical') :: ['ALN'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastases'] @entity2849 :: ('MESH:D017541', 'Disease') :: ['FN', 'False negative']
@entity0 :: (MESH:D001943,Disease) :: ['breast cancer']
