Diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in detecting breast malignancy with the clinical location of lumps.

The objectives were to study the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in detecting malignancy in palpable breast lumps and know the relationship of the tumor with the quadrants of the breast (clinical location of breast lumps). FNAC slides of 420 female patients with a palpable breast lump were evaluated. Relationship of tumor with the quadrants of the breast was as follows: upper outer 57.14%, upper inner 13.33%, lower outer 11.9%, lower inner 6.67%, and central quadrant 10.95%. The sensitivity, specificity, disease prevalence, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in this study were calculated as 93.42%, 100%, 57.86%, 100%, 91.71%, and 96.19%, respectively.