The accuracy of mammography: a comparison with fine needle aspiration cytology
Charnvises, S.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 79(1): 27-30
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 8867398 Document Number: 466882
A retrospective study of 212 patients from the National Cancer Institute of Thailand were analysed. All of these patients had undergone mammographic, fine needle aspiration cytologic and histopathologic diagnosis during the year 1988-1989. They presented with breast lesions, either ill-defined or well defined masses. The mammographic diagnosis were compared with fine needle aspiration cytologic diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of mammography were 89.83 per cent, 94.77 per cent and 93.39 per cent respectively while the fine needle aspiration cytology were 98.30 per cent, 98.69 per cent and 98.58 per cent. Although this study revealed high accuracy of mammography, it was less accurate than the fine needle aspiration cytology and similar to many documented reports. The study of efficacy of mammographic diagnosis is the way to evaluate the practice of radiologists, technologists and mammographic techniques. The gradual development of these important factors lead to obtain higher accuracy of mammographic diagnosis.