Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy and Histopathology Results in Salivary Gland Masses

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) results with histopathological outcomes in salivary gland masses and to determine the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNAB. Methods: The study included 103 patients who underwent surgery for salivary gland masses between 2019 and 2022. FNAB was performed under ultrasound guidance, and the samples were examined. Preoperative FNAB results were classified as benign, malignant, or nondiagnostic and compared with the postoperative histopathological results. Results: Of the patients included in the study, 48 (46.6%) were female and 55 (53.4%) were male. The most frequent FNAB was performed on the parotid gland, and histopathological results were reported as benign in 89 patients and malignant in 14 patients. The sensitivity of FNAB was found to be 80%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, and negative predictive value 97%. The nondiagnostic result rate was 6.8%. Conclusion: FNAB is a safe, rapid, and cost-effective method for diagnosing salivary gland masses. The study demonstrates that FNAB provides high accuracy in the early detection of malignant tumours. However, false-negative results may occur in low-grade malignant tumours. The results demonstrate that the accuracy of FNAB varies depending on the pathologist’s experience and the quality of sampling.

Keywords

• Biopsy
• Needle
• Parotid Gland
• Salivary Glands
• Submandibular Gland

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