Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the management of the discrete parotid lump.

A review of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) indicates that the technique can distinguish benign from malignant parotid, disease in 93% of patients evaluated. However, a surgery of 34 head and neck oncologists revealed that making this distinction when an apparently benign parotid lump was being investigated did not normally alter the surgical management for in the presence of low-grade cancer survival is not improved with radical surgery. As FNAC does not alter treatment of a discrete parotid lump, no consensus is currently possible regarding its most appropriate use. Perhaps its value is as a screening procedure and to provide a little more information when advising the patient.