Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is the process of using an ultrasound to pinpoint a specific location in the body and collect a small number of cells. The use of ultrasound allows us to, in most cases, safely avoid structures like blood vessels and other organs not of interest so that your pet is at a lower risk of bleeding and other complications. A biopsy is a piece of tissue, whereas an aspirate provides only a small group of cells. In most cases a biopsy is going to give a better picture of what is going on in your pet. Sometimes an aspirate is performed first as this is a less invasive test with fewer potential complications. If the diagnosis is not obtained with this test, then a biopsy may be recommended.
