Spectrum of Cytopathological Causes of Cervical Lymphadenopathy- An Experience at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT: Objective Cervical lymph nodes are very often enlarged in many diseases. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is a simple, fast, and affordable procedure for diagnosing enlarged lymph nodes with a great degree of precision. It is the gold standard biopsy technique used in the workup of palpable neck masses, having sensitivity and specificity as high as 97%. The objective of our study was to determine the most common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy. Methodology: Results of FNAC done in Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal were retrospectively analysed from January 2023 to December 2023 after approval from the ethical review board of the institute to determine the most common etiology of cervical lymphadenopathy in our region. Patients from both the genders and of all ages were included in the study. Results: According to the results of our study, granulomatous inflammation, most likely Tuberculosis, turned out to be the most common etiology of cervical lymphadenopathy followed by reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. The least common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy appeared to be Hodgkin’s lymphoma and malignant cells that appeared in equal ratios. Conclusion: FNAC helped us in determining granulomatous inflammation, most likely Tuberculosis as the most common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy which is consistent with data obtained from most developing countries.