Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Diagnosis of Salivary Gland Tumors Before the Milan System: A Ten-Year Experience From a Tertiary Care Center in Greece

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for salivary gland tumors. Methodology A retrospective file analysis of patients with salivary gland pathology, attending the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of a tertiary care center in Athens, Greece, over a 10-year-long period, was conducted. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive prognostic value (PPV), and negative prognostic value (NPV) of FNAC for benign and malignant tumors separately were assessed and compared with histology. Results A total of 82 patients (46 male and 36 female) with salivary gland tumors, submitted to both FNAC and histology, were included. The mean age was 55 years. A total of 73 tumors were histologically diagnosed as benign and nine as malignant. FNAC identified 62 benign and seven malignant tumors but was inconclusive in 13 cases. The most common diagnosis of both histology and FNAC was pleomorphic adenoma. FNAC sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV were 98.3% and 100%, 87.5% and 100%, 97.1% and 100%, 98.3% and 100%, and 87.5% and 100% for benign and malignant tumors, respectively. Conclusions FNAC is highly sensitive but moderately specific for the preoperative identification of benign salivary gland tumors. Its use as an initial diagnostic modality is warranted, thanks to its safeness, rapidity, and lack of pain.