Application of Sal classification to parotid gland fine‐needle aspiration cytology: 10‐year retrospective analysis of 312 patients

• Published in: Head & neck 2018-05, Vol.40 (5), p.937-942
• Main Authors: Kilavuz, Ahmet Erdem, Songu, Murat, İmre, Abdulkadir, Arslanoğlu, Secil, Özkul, Yilmaz, Pinar, Ercan, Ateş, Düzgün
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biopsy; Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Cellular biology; Child; Classification; Cytology; Data processing; Diagnosis; Exocrine glands; Female; fine‐needle aspiration biopsy; Head and neck; histopathological diagnosis; Humans; Male; Malignancy; Middle Aged; Parotid gland; Parotid Neoplasms - classification; Parotid Neoplasms - pathology; parotidectomy; Retrospective Studies; Sal classification; Sensitivity and Specificity; Time Factors; Tumors; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.25056

Background The accuracy of fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is controversial in parotid tumors. We aimed to compare FNAB results with the final histopathological diagnosis and to apply the “Sal classification” to our data and discuss its results and its place in parotid gland cytology. Methods The FNAB cytological findings and final histological diagnosis were assessed retrospectively in 2 different scenarios based on the distribution of nondefinitive cytology, and we applied the Sal classification and determined malignancy rate, sensitivity, and specificity for each category. Results In 2 different scenarios FNAB sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were found to be 81%, 87%, 54.7%, and 96.1%; and 65.3%, 100%, 100%, and 96.1%, respectively. The malignancy rates and sensitivity and specificity were also calculated and discussed for each Sal category. Conclusion We believe that the Sal classification has a great potential to be a useful tool in classification of parotid gland cytology.