Value of Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Evaluation of Parotid Tumors

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is commonly used in the study of parotid masses; however controversy exists regarding its diagnostic accuracy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of FNAC as a preoperative diagnostic tool of parotid tumors. Sixty-five patients had satisfactory preoperative FNAC and underwent subsequent surgery to the parotid between March 2002 and July 2009 at our institution. The results of the FNAC were compared to the permanent histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the overall accuracy of FNAC for parotid masses were 57.9, 97.8, 91.7, 84.9, and 86%, respectively. FNAC is useful in the preoperative assessment of parotid tumors and surgical planning. The non-diagnostic and false-negative results are the limitations of FNAC that should be reduced to improve its usefulness in the evaluation of parotid tumors.