Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Detection of Extravascular Trypanosoma Parasites by Fine Needle Aspiration
Published on: August 7, 2019
The utility of fine needle aspiration in parotid malignancy
Aaron C Lin1, Neil Bhattacharyya
1Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Objective:
To determine clinical utility of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in parotid neoplasia.
Study Design And Setting:
Retrospective cohort study.
Methods:
FNA and final pathology data were reviewed for patients who underwent parotidectomy for malignancy. Surgical outcomes were compared between patients with malignant cytology versus nonmalignant/nondiagnostic cytology.
Results:
Twenty-seven of 33 primary malignant parotid lesions underwent FNA. Seventeen (63.0%) patients were diagnosed with cancer on FNA. The remaining 16 patients did not undergo FNA (n = 6), had a nondiagnostic FNA specimen (n = 5), or were incorrectly diagnosed with a benign lesion (n = 5). Patients who went on to parotidectomy with intent to treat malignancy based on FNA had significantly higher rates of upfront neck dissections (47.1% vs 12.5%, P = 0.036) as well as clear pathological margins (70.6% vs 31.3%, P = 0.027) vs those with nonmalignant FNA diagnoses.
Conclusions:
Preoperative FNA diagnosis of malignancy improves surgical treatment of parotid cancer.
Significance:
FNA in the evaluation of parotid masses should strongly be considered.
