Comparative cytologic and histologic study of fifteen salivary basal-cell tumors: differential diagnostic considerations.

Cytologic results of preoperative fine-needle sampling (FNS) of 15 salivary basal-cell tumors are presented, described, and compared with histologic results. Eleven of the FNAS showed individual and clusters of homogeneous basaloid cells with scanty cytoplasm, occasional peripheral palisading, and naked nuclei and were diagnosed as basal-cell adenoma. Four samples showed, in addition, three-dimensional cell clusters with mild cytonuclear atypia, occasional mitosis, and/or focal necrosis and were diagnosed as basal-cell adenocarcinoma. Basal-cell tumors must be diagnostically differentiated from adenoid cystic carcinoma and metastatic basal-cell carcinoma. Although the adenomas diagnosed by cytologic examination and four suspected carcinomas in our series were verified by histologic testing, the bland cytologic features of basal-cell adenocarcinoma may not always allow diagnosis on cytologic examination.