TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI, vol.29, no.5, pp.1230-1234, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: The goal was to compare fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) with subsequent specimen histopathological examinations of salivary gland lesions. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 70 FNAB specimens of 83 patients were evaluated with subsequent histopathological examination of minor and major salivary gland lesions. There were 37 (44.6%) females and 46 (55.4%) males. The mean age was 43.22 +/- 18.34 (mean +/- standard deviation) ranging between 5-83 years. Biopsy sites included parotid glands in 44 cases, submandibular glands in 29 cases, buccal mucosa in 2 cases, hard palate in 6 cases, parapharyngeal region in I case and uvula in I case. Of the 83 patients, 70 (84.3%) underwent surgery and their specimens were evaluated. Histopathologically four aspirates were inadequate. Results: In evaluating histopathologically confirmed lesions, the absolute sensitivity in our series was 77.8% and the specificity was 93.4%. The positive predictive and the negative predictive values were 63.6% and 96.6% respectively. The accuracy rate was 91.4%. The agreement between cytological and subsequent histological diagnosis was 81.4% whereas 15.7% of the cases were discordant. Conclusion: FNAB is a commonly performed procedure. This technique is still valuable in the rapid diagnosis, staging and follow up of patients with salivary gland lesions. However, it requires a well-trained cytopathologist on salivary gland lesions and a good cooperation between the surgeon and the cytopathologist.