The technique of fine-needle aspiration biopsy seems to be ideally
suited for the diagnosis of lytic bone lesions at practically any location
in the skeleton. The technique is simple, carries minimum risks, and can
often be performed on an outpatient basis. Advances in cytological
techniques have made it possible to reach an accurate diagnosis for most
patients within twenty-four hours. The accuracy rate in the present study
of seventy patients was 87.5 per cent, but the lesions studied included few
primary bone tumors. One limitation of the technique is the difficulty in
sampling a lesion that is covered by compact bone.