A retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of use of fine-needle aspiration(FNA) cytologic examination and acid fast bacilli(AFB) staining in the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis was carried out. Preoperative FNA cytologic examination and smear for AFB were performed on 185 patients with cervical lymphadenitis. Two patients had histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma. Each patient was treated with anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. All patients have been followed-up to the present(minimum 4 years, mean 6.5 years). The sensitivity of FNA cytologic examination was positive in 73.8% of 183 patients in detecting tuberculous lymphadenitis and the predictive value of positive FNA cytologic examination for tuberculous lymphadenitis was 98.5%. The AFB detection rate from fine needle aspirates was 44.8% and the predictive value was 98.8%. When the FNA cytologic examination and AFB smear technique were employed together, they could diagnose 100% of 183 cases of tuberculous lymphadenitis preoperatively and the predictive value was 98.9%. Combined use of FNA cytologic examination and AFB staining was efficient in the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis.