BACKGROUND Salivary gland lesions are one of the palpable lesions subjected for Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) for diagnosis. Preoperative diagnosis helps in selection of appropriate treatment in every case.The aim of present study is to examine the cytological features of salivary gland lesions in aspirated smears and to evaluate the efficacy of FNAC in correlation with histopathological diagnosis in salivary gland lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe study includes 52 patients with salivary gland lesions who came for FNAC, of which for 34 cases surgical specimens were received for Histopathological Examination (HPE). Diagnostic accuracy was studied by statistical analysis. RESULTSIn this study of 34 cases of correlation, maximum cases were obtained for pleomorphic adenoma making it the commonest benign tumour followed by malignancy. Parotid gland was the most common site involved in salivary gland lesions. FNAC diagnosis was consistent with HPE in 30 cases and inconsistent in 4 cases. CONCLUSIONFNAC is a highly reliable technique for pre-operative diagnosis of salivary gland tumours in the hands of experienced pathologists. Due to the minimally invasive nature of this technique, FNAC offers valuable information for planning of subsequent therapeutic management. BACKGROUND FNAC is useful in the diagnosis of salivary gland lesions and often influences management of the patient and allows for appropriate treatment planning. Non-neoplastic lesions can be distinguished from neoplastic and benign tumours from malignant ones. The complications of the FNAC are rare, making it one of the popular diagnostic tool. In this study the cytological spectrum of salivary gland lesions studied, HPE correlation was done for available cases. Statistical analysis like sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy was done. KEYWORDS FNAC, Salivary Gland Lesions, HPE. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:The results compared with other studies substantiate the findings of the series and affirms the usefulness of FNAC as a simple, cost effective and minimally invasive diagnostic tool in the evaluation of salivary gland lesions. Other, Competing Interest: None. Submission 19-11-2016, Peer Review 12-12-2016, Acceptance 19-12-2016, Published 26-12-2016. Corresponding Author: Dr. Kanchana Priyadarshini V. N, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, MIMS, Nellimarla-535217, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh. E-mail: kanpras@gmail.com DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2016/1714 Financial or MATERIALS AND METHODSThe present study includes aspiration smears of lesions from both major and minor salivary glands. These cases were referred to the cytology lab in the Department of Pathology. The study includes 52 cases of aspiration smears of which for 34 cases surgical specimens were received for HPE. After taking consent and relevant history, FNAC was done after local examination. Smears were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin. Surgical specimens were examined, sections were given from representative area, processed and stained with...