Fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis of soft tissue tumours

Abstract

Soft tissues are the no epithelial extra skeletal connective tissues of the body, excluding supporting tissues of the internal organs, glia and hematopoietic tissues. Soft tissue tumours (STT) are generally classified according to their resemblance to the presumptive normal mesenchymal cell counterparts. STT have been diagnosed routinely by histopathology, which is considered as gold standard for their evaluation. However, in the recent times where ‘needle is preceding the scalpel’ and the biopsy material is getting limited, it would be prudent to discuss the role and scope of FNAC in diagnosing STT.