Role of Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Right Hypochondrial Masses

Background: Patients having right hypochondrial intra-abdominal masses are commonly encountered in clinical practice. The study was done to know the role of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration in diagnosing right hypochondrial masses and its most common cause.Methods: 112 cases were collected from department of surgery, SVBP hospital meerut. FNAC was done using 22-23 G disposable lumbar puncture needle with trochar fitted with 20 ml syringe, introduced under radiological guidance and aspiration is done under negative pressure. Smears were stained with Leishman’s stain, May Grunwald Geimsa (MGG) and Papnicolou stain.Results: Out of total 112 cases, 12 cases excluded from study as only blood was aspirated. Therefore, out of 100 cases, 83% (83/100) cases were malignant, 7% (7/100) benign and 10% (10/100) inconclusive/ due to low cellularity. Among the malignant masses, majority 52 (52.0%) cases were of liver secondaries followed by 24 (24.0%) cases of adenocarcinoma gall bladder, 5 (5.0%) cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and single case (1%), each of cholangiocarcinoma GB and squamous cell carcinoma GB. Among the benign lesions, 3 (3.0%) cases of liver abscess, 2 (2.0%) cases of hydatid disease followed by single case (1.0%) of hepatic adenoma and cysticercosis liver. In this study, overall accuracy of USG guided FNAC was 96.66%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and efficacy of USG guided FNAC in right hypochondrial masses were 96.66%, 100%, 100%, 66.67% and 96.87% respectively.Conclusions: USG guided FNAC is simple, quick, safe, reliable and economical tool without any significant complication in diagnosing right hypochondrial masses.