Abstract
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is used widely in the initial workup and diagnosis of both palpable and deep-seated masses. Salivary glands are among the most commonly aspirated locations in the head and neck area. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a simple, safe and non-invasive ancillary diagnostic method that is relatively atraumatic. However, it can lead to histologic changes that may obscure the underlying pathology or mislead the unwary to render an erroneous diagnosis of malignancy. The tissue changes after FNAC include haemorrhage, squamous cell metaplasia, infarction and necrosis and needle track tumour seeding. Although tissue changes induced by FNAC are rare and account for only 7% and 10 % cases, awareness of these alterations will prevent the pathologist from overestimating the diagnosis. The aim of this review is to emphasize the importance of recognizing the histologic changes induced by FNAC and of obtaining the clinical history of a preoperative FNA procedure to avoid potential misdiagnosis.
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