ABSTRACT

To determine the utility of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) in the evaluation of parotis lesions by comparing the results of preoperative FNA and postoperative pathology report results.

Preoperative FNA and postoperative histopathological results of 128 patients who had been operated for parotid masses between 2009-2014 were compared.

84 of the patients were male (%65.6) and 44 were female (%34.3). Mean age was 48 (range: 13-76). FNA was insufficient in 16 of the 128 patients (%12). FNA results in 96 of the remaining 112 patients were reported as benign. 88 of these (%91) were confirmed by postoperative histopathology. Of the 16 patients who were reported as malignant by FNA, 12 of them were confirmed postoperatively (%75). In evaluating histopathologically confirmed lesions, the absolute sensitivity in our patients was %75 and the specificity was %95.4. The positive predictive and the negative predictive values were %75 and %87.5 respectively. The accuracy rate was %85.7.

FNA, as a reliable and effective method, can be used in the preoperative evaluation of parotid masses.