CYTOLOGICAL SPECTRUM OF SALIVARY GLAND LESIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE- A ONE YEAR COMPILATION

Abstract

Background: Salivary gland neoplasms account for 2–6.5% of all the head and neck tumours, and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a relatively faster diagnostic method which aids the clinicians to decide the initial line of management. This study was undertaken to evaluate the various cytomorphological features of salivary gland lesions by FNAC. This prospective, observational study was done for a period of 12 months from JanuaryMaterials And Methods: 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 at a tertiary care centre. A total of 127 FNAC were included in this study. The lesions were evaluated cytologically after staining and then correlated clinically and radiologically. Out of the 127 casesResults: studied, most common age group involved was adults between 31–40 years (18.1). The youngest patient was 3 years of age and the oldest was 94 years of age with a Male: Female (M: F) ratio of 1.96:1. The most common site of involvement was the parotid gland with a frequency of 79 (62.2%), the predominant benign lesions diagnosed cytologically were inflammatory lesions and suppurative lesions- 70 (55.11%) cases followed by pleomorphic adenoma of 22 (17.3%) cases., and the most common malignant lesion diagnosed was mucoepidermoid carcinoma, comprising of eight (9.88%) cases. Two cases of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma were also reported in the age group of 0-20 years. Conclusion: This study describes the various cytomorphological features of salivary gland lesions and demonstrates how they serve as rapid test and aid patient management. Besides with ancillary techniques, the FNAC diagnosis can be as good as confirmatory tests despite being minimally invasive.