Fine-needle aspiration cytology of lymphoproliferative lesions involving the major salivary glands

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is an accurate and cost-effective procedure for evaluating salivary gland lesions. Lymphoproliferative lesions may manifest as salivary gland enlargement. We report our experience with 43 cases of reactive and neoplastic lymphoproliferative lesions of the salivary glands evaluated by FNA, including 23 cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and 20 neoplastic lymphoproliferative processes. The latter included 2 multiple myelomas and 18 non-Hodgkin lymphomas (small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 1; small cleaved cell lymphoma, 1; lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, 1; mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, 2; mixed cell lymphoma, 4; lymphoblastic lymphoma, 1; and large cell lymphoma, 8). There were no false-negative diagnoses. Aspiration smears from 3 patients with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and 4 patients with malignant lymphoma initially were interpreted as atypical lymphoid proliferations or as suggestive of malignant lymphoma. Thus, FNA had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 87%. The majority of patients were treated medically without surgical intervention. Among the patients who underwent surgical resection of the salivary gland 7 had an equivocal cytologic diagnosis and 2 had a benign cytologic diagnosis, but their parotid swelling failed to regress despite medical treatment. In most instances, FNA provides useful information for subsequent disease management and obviates surgical intervention.