Parotid fine-needle aspiration: a cytologic study of pediatric lesions

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of parotid lesions in the pediatric age group presents interesting diagnostic problems. There is limited cytologic literature available on the subject. We studied the cytologic findings on FNA of parotid masses in seven such cases. Patients ranged in age from 1 to 17 years (mean = 10.4). Diagnoses included lymphoepithelial cyst (n = 1), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 2), pilomatrixoma (n = 1), acinic-cell carcinoma (n = 1), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 1), and Ewing's sarcoma (n = 1). Six cases were confirmed by subsequent histologic examination. The study elaborates on the cytologic features of each lesion and discusses the differential diagnosis of closely related entities peculiar to this age group. It highlights the role of FNA as the diagnostic modality of choice in dealing with pediatric parotid masses.