Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC): is it useful in preoperative diagnosis of parotid gland lesions?

Background: Salivary gland tumors are an uncommon entity and its histopathology is highly varied due to heterogeneous cellular composition. The role of the preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the cytologic findings of salivary gland lesions with the histologic diagnoses, in order to assess the usefulness and accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of parotid gland tumors. Methods: A retrospective study was performed, regarding patients (n - 65) submitted to surgery for the treatment of parotid gland disease, who had performed preoperative FNAC, in our department between 2002 and 2012. A histologic diagnosis was considered as the gold standard for the assessment of sensitivity and specificity of FNAC. A cytohistologic correlation was done and appropriate statistical tests were applied. Results: Concordance between FNAC and histological specimen analysis was 78%. FNAC specificity was 82% and sensitivity was 71%. Positive and negative predictive values were 65% and 86% and positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 3.92 and 0.35, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy for this test was 78%. Conclusion: Preoperative FNAC of parotid lesions is reasonably accurate and useful in diagnosing benign from malignant lesions and in planning appropriate approach for treatment.