Parotid tumours: correlation between fine needle aspiration biopsy and histological findings

ObjectivesTo evaluate the role of the fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in the study of parotid masses.MethodsRetrospective review of FNAB results compared with final histological diagnosis in 148 patients with a parotid mass from 1993 to 2003.ResultsFNAB was performed in 93.92% of parotid masses. Eleven of these were not conclusive. The FNAB diagnosis of malignant o suspicious lesion had 81.25% of sensibility, 96.87% of specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 89.65% and 93.94%, respectively. The FNAB specific histopathologic diagnosis in the benign parotid masses were 92%, and 57.69% in the malign masses.ConclusionsFNAB is a diagnostic tool with a high negative predictive value, very usotul in the study of suspicious malignant parotid masses and whenever surgery is not possible.