Salivary gland tumors: a diagnostic dilemma!

Salivary gland tumors generate considerable interest because of their heterogeneous and variable histology, grade of malignancy, and clinical behavior. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is considered the first diagnostic modality for salivary neoplasms due to its ready availability and ease of performance. However it cannot always be relied upon in isolation, and should be used in conjunction with other investigations like incisional biopsy. We present two cases, which highlight the drawbacks of relying on FNAC alone, which resulted in misdiagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma as pleomorphic adenoma.