Aspiratiecytologie van palpabele mamma-afwijkingen: toetsing van de resultaten met behulp van PALGA-gegevens

– For the testing of the results of 1233 breast punctures performed on 1132 women in the period 1985-1988, the question was studied whether a less timeconsuming procedure than status examination might be used. The national computerized record office where all data on cytological and histological diagnostics per patient are centralized (PALGA) offered the possibility of determining whether and, if so, with what results histological examination of the breast had been carried out. Histological follow-up examination proved to be available of 476 punctates. In case of abnormal cytological findings without subsequent histological examination, the final diagnosis was made on the basis of the clinical findings (53 punctates; 4.6 of the women examined). In case of non-abnormal cytological findings without subsequent cytological or histological follow-up examination, the lesion was regarded as benign. It proved technically feasible with use of these final diagnoses to arrive at a numerical evaluation of aspiration cytology for the laboratory. These characteristics are valuable in making the decision whether, given a particular result of puncture biopsy, women with a palpable breast tumour should or should not be operated, provided the characteristics are always used only in combination with clinical and mammographic diagnostics. The method is also appropriate for evaluation of other forms of cytodiagnostic examination.