Aspiration cytology of salivary gland tumors: diagnostic experience from six years of routine laboratory work.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology has been used as a routine diagnostic instrument in patients with salivary gland lesions during 1966-1972. A retrospective analysis of the primary cytologic reports correlated with the revised final diagnoses in 461 patients where a pathologic report is available, shows exact agreement in 63 percent, good and not misleading agreement in a further 18 percent, while false reports were initially given in 8 percent, and unsatisfactory specimens were obtained in 11 percent of the patients. On revision of the false reports it is found that with the present experience acquired over several years these can be reduced to under 5 percent. This analysis has also given indications upon which types of specimens are likely to cause diagnostic difficulties.