A Comparative Study of Endoscopic Biopsy and Endoscopic FNAC in Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Objectives: Gross description of gastro-intestinal malignancy is facilitated by endoscopy of the upper and lower gastro-intestinal tract and also provides tissue for definitive diagnosis. Currently, direct vision endoscopic forceps biopsy & FNAC are two standard techniques used to establish a preoperative diagnosis in gastro-intestinal malignancies. The objective of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic findings when combined with fine needle aspiration and endoscopic biopsy in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancies. So, we compare both techniques (endoscopic forceps biopsy & endoscopic FNAC) to each other and how accurately both techniques are diagnosing the lesion in combination with each other. Material and Method: In our study, 40 cases of suspected gastro-intestinal malignancies underwent endoscopic biopsy & FNAC in a period of one and half years. Result: Out of 40 cases, total malignant lesions were accounting for 32 cases. 27 cases were diagnosed as malignant by biopsy. FNAC showed positive results in 28 cases. The FNAC was found to be 81.82% Sensitive and 85.71% Specific & an accuracy of 82.5%. Biopsy had Sensitivity 81.82% Specificity 100% & Accuracy 85%. The Combined accuracy of both endoscopic FNAC and biopsy was 93.93%. Conclusion: The advent of endoscopic biopsy & FNAC have facilitated the detection & diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancies. Biopsy though is considered to be diagnostic, Fine Needle Aspiration along with Biopsy can help in the detection of additional cases of malignancy. Thus, both procedures applied together can detect more malignant cases & can establish a more definitive diagnosis. Keywords: Endoscopy, FNAC, Biopsy, Gastrointestinal Malignancies