Clinical value of image-guided fine needle aspiration of retroperitoneal masses and lymph nodes in gynecologic oncology

Objective.Evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of fine needle aspiration of retroperitoneal masses and lymph nodes in gynecologic oncology.Methods.Retrospective study of 101 punctures administered to 84 patients aged 23–86 years. The method's sensitivity and specificity were evaluated by clinical follow-up.Results.A satisfactory sampling was obtained in 89.1% of punctures, and a cytological diagnosis was made in 88.1%. The size of the lymph nodes punctured was less than 14 mm in 46.5%. This test has a sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 88.9%, positive predictive value of 98%, negative predictive value of 53.3%, and accuracy of 87.7%. Four patients presented complications: pain (2), hematoma (1), and right ureteral perforation (1).Conclusions.The fine needle aspiration technique has excellent positive predictive value and low morbidity. As a method of visualization, CT-scan, in combination with lymphography, allows the location of small lesions and the definition of their internal structures. The weak negative predictive value of fine needle aspiration might be correctible by laparoscopy-directed biopsy, and its potential is clearly ensured by the development of techniques for locating sentinel lymph nodes.