Tissue Effects of Salivary Gland Fine-Needle Aspiration

Abstract

Recent reports have alluded to various tissue effects secondary to fine-needle aspiration (FNA), particularly infarction observed in resected salivary gland masses, precluding accurate histologic diagnosis. Our experience with the use of 25-gauge needles indicates otherwise. We retrospectively reviewed 94 resected salivary gland masses previously sampled by FNA, looking for infarction, hemorrhage, needle track tumor seeding, and fibrosis. We assessed the significance of these complications and their impact on the histologic diagnosis. The median interval from FNA to excision was 25 days. Variable degrees of infarction and hemorrhage were present in 7 cases (7%) and 9 cases (10%), respectively. Infarction ranged from 5% to 80% (average, 20%), while hemorrhage averaged less than 20% of the material on the tissue sections. Significant infarction was present in acinic cell carcinomas (3/7), but histologic diagnosis was not compromised, and tissue alterations were absent. We conclude that FNA of salivary gland lesions using 25-gauge needles is safe and does not significantly alter the histologic diagnosis. The tissue effects observed did not preclude accurate diagnostic interpretation in any case.

Papillary carcinoma? or Reactive papillary changes? in the infarcted thyroid nodule after FNA and accompanying synchronous brain stem astrocytoma: Case report and literature review

“…According to Mukunyadzi et al, [ 12 ] the use of 23 gauge needles has been reported to cause less bleeding and tissue damage. In a report published by Pandit and Phulpagar, histopathological changes that may occur in the acute and chronic stages post FNA were discussed.Acute lesions were reported to include granulation tissue, siderophages, nuclear atypia, irregularly shaped granulomas, deterioration and infarct in the capsule, and thrombosis, and chronic lesions were reported to include bleeding, granulation tissue, linear fibrosis, nuclear atypia, vascular changes, papillary changes, thrombosis, capsular pseudoinvasion, infarction, necrosis, metaplasia, and calcification [ 13 ].…”