Spectrum of Cytomorphological Patterns in Enlarged Lymph Nodes: ATertiary Care Center

Background: Lymphadenopathy, which is defined as the swelling of lymph nodes, is a frequent clinicalpresentation with a wide differential diagnosis that includes both cancers and benign reactive processes. Fineneedle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a less invasive, economical diagnostic method for assessinglymphadenopathy, facilitating the identification of various causes.Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytomorphological spectrum of enlarged lymph nodesin patients at a tertiary healthcare facility, emphasizing the incidence of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions andtheir distribution across various age groups and genders.Methodology: A cross-sectional research was performed in the Department of Pathology at Darbhanga MedicalCollege and Hospital, Bihar, India. Seventy-four individuals exhibiting lymphadenopathy received fine needleaspiration cytology (FNAC). Aspirates were processed and stained with conventional cytological methodologies,including Hematoxylin & Eosin, Papanicolaou, Giemsa, and Ziehl-Neelsen stains. Cytological diagnosis wereclassified into non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions, with additional sub classification as warranted.Results: The largest prevalence of lymphadenopathy occurred in the 21–30 years age range (20.3%), with a malepreponderance (56.8%). The cervical region was the most often impacted area (54.1%). Non-neoplastic lesionscomprised 70.2% of cases, with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (32.4%) and tuberculous lymphadenitis (27.0%)as the most prevalent. Neoplastic lesions constituted 29.8% of patients, with metastatic carcinoma (13.5%) beingthe most prevalent, followed by Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (6.7%) and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (5.4%).Conclusion: FNAC serves as an efficient preliminary diagnostic tool for assessing lymphadenopathy, offeringsignificant insights into the underlying disease. The research indicates an increased occurrence of non-neoplasticdiseases, including reactive hyperplasia and TB, among the examined group. The prevalence of metastaticcarcinoma highlights the necessity of evaluating secondary malignancies in differential diagnosis, particularly inelderly individuals.