Abstract

Two hundreds and twenty one consecutive patients with enlarged lymph nodes of neck areas were diagnosed as metastatic carcinoma by fine needle aspiration. The metastatic carcinomas were most frequent in the supraclavicular lymph nodes(p<0.05). As a primary site, lung, stomach, upper respiratory tract and breast were common sites in descending order of frequency. In overall cytologic types, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common in males(43%) while adenocarcinoma was the most common in females(72%) (p<0.05). While carcinomas of the esophagogastro -intestinal tract showed a tendency to metastasis to the left supraclavicular lymph nodes, the metastatic carcinomas of lung and breast usually metastasized to the same side primary cancers with predilection for the supraclavicular lymph nodes. The submandibular lymph nodes were frequently involved by the carcinoma of upper and lower respiratory tract, in which squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent cytologic type. diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology is the first step in the workup of patients with nodal enlargement suspicious for malignancy, particularly in metastatic carcinoma.

• Keywords: Fine needle aspiration cytology;Metastatic carcinoma;Lymph nodes;Neck