title: Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the differential diagnosis of vascular anomalies from other lesions in the head and neck region.
abstract: Objective To summarise the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the differential diagnosis of vascular anomalies from other lesions in the head and neck region by presenting five interesting cases reported from our hospital data. Method Five patients ranging in age from 3 months to 25 years old were diagnosed with vascular anomalies based on their histories, clinical examinations, imaging examinations and ultrasonic testing. The previous diagnosis of these patients were corrected by fine needle aspiration cytology in our hospital and the proper treatment was administered. Result Two cases were wrongly treated in a local hospital. All five of the patients underwent operations after excluding vascular anomalies by fine needle aspiration cytology. Conclusion Fine needle aspiration cytology should be used in the following situations to prevent misdiagnoses and the mistreatment as vascular anomalies: when imaging examination and ultrasonic testing lead to a diagnosis of vascular malformation, but the history or clinical examination does not confirm this diagnosis; when lesions are treated as "vascular malformations" by sclerotherapy, and the hydatid fluid is not like blood or lymph fluid; and when propranolol is used to treat the proliferation stage of "haemangiomas" with without any effect.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hanguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of oral pathology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chunye
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiawei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weiliu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Fine needle aspiration cytology; differential diagnosis; head and neck; vascular anomalies