Correlation of FNAC with Histopathology in Detecting Ovarian Malignancy: An Institutional Experience

Abstract

Background: Ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages, requiring reliable and minimally invasive diagnostic tools. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has been proposed as a rapid and cost-effective method, but institutional data are essential to validate its role. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between FNAC and histopathology in ovarian malignancies based on institutional experience. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynecological Oncology and the Department of Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March 2015 to February 2016. Sixty patients with suspected ovarian malignancies underwent FNAC under imaging guidance. Cytological results were compared with histopathology results from surgical or biopsy specimens. Results: The mean age was 52.1 years, and 56.7% were postmenopausal. Abdominal pain (66.7%), palpable lumps (63.3%), and early satiety (53.3%) were the most common presentations. FNAC most frequently identified adenocarcinoma (53.3%), whereas histopathology confirmed papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma (36.7%) as the predominant subtype. FNAC and histopathology showed high concordance, with few false-negative cases, particularly in cystic lesions. Conclusion: FNAC showed a strong correlation with histopathology in ovarian malignancies and is an effective institutional diagnostic tool. Its safety, rapidity, and affordability make it particularly relevant in resource-limited healthcare settings.