There are many guardians who worry about cancer while looking at a small lump on their precious pet, but hesitate to undergo an examination because they are afraid of the side effects of anesthesia or surgery. In addition, there are guardians who thought nothing of it because they had a lump for a long time, but after hearing about cases in which malignant tumors spread throughout the body, they want to conduct a mass examination during the health checkup of their companion animal. I would like to introduce the fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) to these caregivers. It is simply called a fine needle test, and it is a test in which a very thin needle (fine needle) is inserted into a mass or lesion to remove ‘cells’ and check it under a microscope.
Fine needle examination of skin lesions can be performed with a simple tool, and in general, it can be performed if the size of the lesion is 5 mm or more. Abdominal organs are performed under ultrasound guidance, and whether or not they can be performed depends on the development of blood vessels and the location of nearby organs. In addition, a fine needle test can be performed not only on a mass suspected of being the primary site, but also on a site suspected of metastasis in a patient diagnosed with a tumor, and through this, it is possible to confirm whether or not metastasis has occurred.
Cytological examination is one of the pillars of pathological examination along with biopsy, and its great advantage is that it can be performed without anesthesia in most patients. In addition, it has the advantage of being able to diagnose quickly at a low cost because the sample collection and processing process is simpler than that of a biopsy. If the mass is an inflammatory lesion, it is treated according to the inflammation, and if it is a tumor, additional upper imaging and biopsy may be ordered depending on the type.
However, diagnosis is difficult because only a small amount of cells can be collected, or in some cases, diagnosis is difficult due to cell transformation. In addition, unlike a biopsy, it cannot evaluate the arrangement of cells or the degree of invasion, and since only a part of the lesion is collected, the accuracy of diagnosis is somewhat lower. Possible side effects of the fine needle test include pain, swelling, and redness, which usually resolve over time. However, care should be taken when performing fine needle tests on organs with highly developed blood vessels (liver, spleen, etc.) or companion animals with hemostasis disorders, as a large amount of bleeding may occur. This may be done in consultation with your veterinarian.
The fine needle test has clear limitations, but it is a useful test method for excluding inflammatory lesions and determining the direction of treatment. It can be very helpful in medical treatment, such as avoiding the situation of surgically removing simple inflammatory lesions or diagnosing tumors in pets that are difficult to anesthetize. Even if you have had a lump in the past, it is recommended that you take this opportunity to identify the type of mass and decide on a future plan.
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