Clinical utility of fine needle aspiration cytology in pediatric parotid tumors

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of pediatric parotid tumors.MethodsFrom June 2002 to June 2012, 22 patients ≤18-years-of-age with parotid mass were treated at Chonnam National University Hospital. Included in the study were 21 cases with preoperative FNAC. A retrospective chart review analyzed the results of FNAC and compared them with the corresponding histopathological diagnosis.ResultsTwenty-one of the 22 patients had undergone preoperative FNAC, which diagnosed pleomorphic adenoma in 13 patients. The remaining eight patients were diagnosed with benign tumor (n = 6), malignant tumor (n = 1) or Kimura disease (n = 1). All 21 patients underwent parotid tumor removal. FNAC had a diagnostic sensitivity of 92.3%, positive-predictive value of 92.3% and accuracy of 90.5% for diagnosing pleomorphic adenoma of pediatric parotid tumor. FNAC had a diagnostic sensitivity of 100%, a positive-predictive value of 85% and accuracy of 85.7% for diagnosing benign parotid tumor.ConclusionsPreoperative FNAC is a useful and accurate adjunct for preoperative evaluation of pediatric parotid tumors. We recommend that preoperative FNAC should be part of the initial evaluation of pediatric patients with parotid masses.