High diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of fine-needle aspiration cytology for diagnosing salivary gland tumors: cytohistologic correlation in 182 cases

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and reproducibility of the cytologic diagnosis of salivary gland tumors (SGTs) using fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The study aimed to determine diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity and to evaluate the extent of interobserver agreement. Study Design. We retrospectively evaluated SGTs from the files of the Division of Pathology at the Clinics Hospital of Sao Paulo and Piracicaba Dental School between 2000 and 2006. Results. We performed cytohistologic correlation in 182 SGTs. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were 94%, 100%, 100%, 100%, and 99%, respectively. The interobserver cytologic reproducibility showed significant statistical concordance (P <.0001). Conclusions. FNAC is an effective tool for performing a reliable preoperative diagnosis in SGTs and shows high diagnostic accuracy and consistent interobserver reproducibility. Further FNAC studies analyzing large samples of malignant SGTs and reactive salivary lesions are needed to confirm their accuracy.