title: Fine-needle aspiration of parotid masses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is controversy concerning the utility of fine-needle aspiration in diagnosing parotid masses. Even studies on large series of patients have compared aspiration findings with the histology in much fewer cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative fine-needle aspiration findings were compared with the histopathologic diagnoses from surgically resected specimens in 246 patients presenting with and treated for parotid mass from 1980-1990.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 173 benign tumors, 159 (91.9%) were diagnosed correctly and 110 of 144 (> 60%) were typed. Of 36 malignant tumors, malignancy was recognized in 22 cases (61.1%). There were nine false-negatives, and in five cases, the specimen was unsatisfactory. The four cases of metastatic disease were correctly typed. Only two of seven lymphomas (28.6%) were identified. The cytologic and histologic diagnoses were concordant in all cases of nonneoplastic disease. Overall accuracy was 87%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fine-needle aspiration speeds up the diagnostic process and, with close cooperation between clinician and pathologist, the technique is a valuable adjunct to preoperative assessment in patients with parotid masses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology B, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zurrida
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alasio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tradati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilotti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010305:Parotid Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests