Comparative cytologic and histologic study of fifteen salivary basal-cell tumors: Differential diagnostic considerations

Cytologic results of preoperative fine-needle sampling (FNS) of 15 salivary basal-cell tumors are presented described and compared with histologic res ults. Eleven of the FNAS showed individual and clusters of homogeneous basa loid cells with scanty cytoplasm, occasional peripheral palisading, and nak ed nuclei and were diagnosed as basal-cell adenoma. Four samples showed, in addition, three-dimensional cell clusters with mild cytonuclear atypia, oc casional mitosis, and/or focal necrosis and were diagnosed as basal-cell ad enocarcinoma. Basal-cell tumors must be diagnostically differentiated from adenoid cystic carcinoma and metastatic basal-cell carcinoma. Although the adenomas diagnosed by cytologic examination and four suspected carcinomas i n our series were verified by histologic testing, the bland cytologic featu res of basal-cell adenocarcinoma may not always allow diagnosis on cytologi c examination. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.