title: Fine needle aspiration cytology as a diagnostic test for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) as a primary diagnostic test in oral leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 12 cases of oral leukoplakia and 60 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. FNAC and biopsy was done on all cases. A cytological and histopathological correlation was undertaken to determine the proportion of cancers that can be accurately diagnosed by FNAC and its ability to identify differentiation gradings of squamous cell carcinomas. A blind examination was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In oral leukoplakias equal rates of true positive and false negative results were obtained. The overall positive correlation accounted for 33.33% with 33.33% inadequate FNACs. In oral squamous cell carcinomas 92.85% of true positive and 7.14% of false negative results were obtained. The differentiation gradings correlated in only 41.07%. The overall positive correlation was 86.66% with 6.66% inadequate FNACs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study indicates that FNAC can be used as a reliable diagnostic test for oral squamous cell carcinoma but its use in oral leukoplakia is of limited value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore University, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Seetharam
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results