Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of cell blocks obtained by ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in diagnosing parotid gland masses. Methods Cell blocks were made in 285 parotid gland masses by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration. Diagnosis was conducted using the cell blocks. Non-tumor masses were subjected to conservative treatment, and cysts and tumors were treated with surgery. The cell block sections from masses with the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and pleomorphic adenoma (PA) were applied to the detection of immunocytochemical staining forthe stem cell factor receptor CD117. Results  The satisfaction rate of the specimen was 95.1% (271/285). The accuracy rate of the diagnosis was 94.5% (256/271), the sensitivity was 87.0% (67/77), and the specificity was 98.1% (157/160). The positive rate of CD117 in ACC was 95.2% (20/21), whereas that in PA was 20.3% (25/123). The positive rate of CD117 in ACC was higher than that in PA (P<0.01). Conclusion  The use of cell blocks obtained from ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, together with molecular marker detection, has great significance in diagnosing parotid gland masses.

Key words: parotid gland, mass, fine needle aspiration, cell block, molecular marker