Role of Fine Needle Aspiration
Cytology in Salivary Gland Tumours
in Correlation with Their Histopathology:
A Two Year Prospective Study
1375-1380
Correspondence
Sunil Kumar Y
Assistant Professor of Pathology,
K S Hegde Medical Academy, Deralakatte,
Mangalore, Karnataka - 575018
Phone: 9686138974
E-mail: drsunilkumary@rediffmail.com
Background and objectives: Salivary gland tumours account for 2-6.5% of all the neoplasms of the head and neck. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is being increasingly used in the diagnosis of salivary gland tumours. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the sensitivity and specificity of FNAC in various salivary gland tumours in correlation with their histopathology, which helps in the appropriate therapeutic management.
Methods: A total of 120 FNACs were done on salivary gland tumours from January 2003 to December 2004 at the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Mysore. Formalin fixed (10%), surgically resected specimens were received, they were processed and slides were prepared. The stained cytological and histopathological slides were studied, analyzed and correlated. The overall diagnostic accuracy and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated with the help of statistical data by using the SPSS software (version 10).
Results: The cytomorphological features were studied and analyzed and the following lesions were observed: Pleomorphic adenoma (88), Warthin’s tumour (2), Cystic lesion (4), Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (6), Acinic cell carcinoma (2), Primary lymphoma (2), Carcinoma EX pleomorphic adenoma(4), metastatic deposits (2), benign parotid tumour (8) and malignant tumour (unspecified)(2). A histopathological correlation was available in 78 cases. Out of these, 71 cases were true positive, 1 was false positive, 2 were false negative and 4 were true negative.
Interpretation and conclusion: The overall sensitivity, specificity and the diagnostic accuracy were 97%, 80% and 92% respectively. Hence, the appropriate therapeutic management could be planned earlier, whether it was a local excision for benign neoplasms, conservative management for non-neoplastic lesions, radical surgery for malignant tumours and chemotherapy or radiotherapy for metastasis and lymphoproliferative disorders. This study documents that FNAC of the salivary gland tumours is accurate, simple, rapid, inexpensive, well tolerated and harmless for the patient.