Three hundred and forty-one salivary gland fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cyt
ology specimens taken over a 6-yr period were reviewed and correlated with
clinical and/or histological findings. The aspirates were derived from paro
tid gland (212 cases), submandibular gland (124 cases), and minor salivary
gland (5 cases). The major diagnostic categories were unsatisfactory (10 ca
ses), normal (100 cases), sialadenitis (74 cases), cyst (34 cases), lipoma
(5 cases), pleomorphic adenoma (55 cases), Warthin's tumor (36 cases), and
malignancy (27 cases). The latter included 14 primary salivary neoplasms (4
lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type, 3 adenocarcino
mas, 2 squamous carcinomas, 2 adenoid cystic cacinomas, and one case each o
f carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, and high-gr
ade mucoepidermoid carcinoma), and 13 metastases, 9 of which were derived f
rom squamous carcinomas of head and neck origin. Clinicopathological review
showed that 88 of 91 (97%) benign epithelial tumors and 27 of 31 (87%) mal
ignant neoplasms with adequate FNA sampling were accurately diagnosed cytol
ogically. False-negative results weve caused by sampling error (7 cases), m
ost notably in cystic tumors, or were due to misinterpretation of uncommon
neoplasms (3 cases). The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were
92%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. FNA cytology provides accurate diagnosis
of most salivary gland lesions and contributes to conservative management
in many patients with nonneoplastic conditions. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2000;22:
139-146. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.