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'Tactile sensation': a new clinical sign during fine needle aspiration of breast lumps.

The tactile sensation (TS) felt during fine needle aspiration (FNA) of symptomatic breast abnormalities was recorded prospectively in 169 patients. TS was classified as malignant (if 'gritty'), or benign (if 'rubbery', 'soft' or 'fibrous'). This assessment was compared with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and the final diagnosis, to evaluate the clinical utility of TS. A 'gritty' TS was recorded in 55/59 cancers and 22/110 benign lesions (sensitivity 93.2%, specificity 80%). Comparison of TS and FNAC in 69 patients with definitive histopathology revealed complementary results (TS, sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 48.5%; FNAC, sensitivity 55.6%, specificity 100%). Combining the sensitivity of TS with that of FNAC increased the overall sensitivity to 97.2%. Recording TS during FNA of symptomatic breast lumps enhances diagnosis, and alerts the clinician to the possibility of an underlying carcinoma when FNAC fails to confirm malignancy.