Role of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Pre-Operative Diagnosis of Parotid Tumours

Parotid gland tumours have evolved much interest arid debate because of the variability of their structure and behaviour. The biological patterns in any given tumour vary from field to field. Thus most malignant mixed salivary tumours will contain both areas of completely benign mixed tumour and areas of overt carcinoma.80-90% salivary tumour arise in the major gland about 70-85% being in the parotid gland. Benign tumours constitute 65-80% of parotid tumours. FNAC has of late become a very important and useful diagnostic aid. It is an accurate nonoperative technique of diagnosing parotid tumours especially in the hands of experienced cytopathologist. The print study done in Osmania general hospital and MNJ cancer hospital Hyderabad in the period of 2007 to find out the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the preoperative diagnosis of parotid tumours in 42 cases.in the study male female ratio was 1:1.07 in benign tumours and 1.34:1 in malignant tumours. FNAC is helpful in patients with clinical suspicion of malignant tumour and in whom the facial nerve function is intact.