A study of fine needle aspiration cytology of salivary gland lesions with histopathological corroboration.

The diagnostic utility of fine needle aspiration cytology as initial work up of salivary gland enlargement was assessed in one hundred and eighty-five salivary gland specimens over three years period and corroborated with histopathology, whenever feasible. All smears were evaluated according to cell size, amount of cytoplasm, cytologic atypia and presence of lymphocytes. (a) Variable cytologic appearances of pleomorphic salivary adenoma were observed. (b) Cellular pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma showed basaloid cell features. (c) Tumours with intermediate size cells and bland cytology included low grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma and cystic lesions. (d) Warthin's tumour, oncocytoma, salivary duct carcinoma and high grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma revealed large cells and abundant cytoplasm with or without atypia. A major diagnostic categories were inflammatory lesions (n = 7 5), cystic lesions (n = 9), benign tumours (n = 81), malignant neoplasms (n = 1 8) and normal acinar pattern (n = 2). Malignant tumours included muco-epidermoid carcinoma (n = 5), adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 3), acinic cell carcinoma (n = 2), adenocarcinoma (n= 2), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1), undifferentiated carcinoma (n= 4) and malignant lymphoma (n = 1). Histopathological correlation was possible in 40% of benign and 80% of malignant neoplasms. The overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were very high. So it can be concluded that fine needle aspiration cytology can play important role in early diagnosis and subsequent therapeutic planning of salivary gland lesions.

Childhood malignancies at BS Medical College: a ten year study.

A retrospective study of malignant diseases of childhood was carried out at B. S. Medical College, Bankura, W.B. to know the prevalence. It includes cases detected in this institution during 1990-1999 in the age group of 0-14 years. Cases were identified from previous records. Histopathology slides, stained by hematoxylin and eosin, were recovered and reviewed. Diagnosis were made by morphology. Hematological diagnosis were made by morphology and cyto-chemistry. In total 120 cases were detected. Acute leukemia (39.2%) was the commonest, followed by retinoblastoma (19.2%), lymphoma (10.8%), Wilm's tumor (10%) and rhabdomyosarcoma (9.1%). Brain tumors were not found due to non-availability of Neurosurgical Unit in this institution. Frequency of neuroblastoma was very low, only 2 out of a total of 120. In comparison to studies in Southern India and Western countries retinoblastoma and soft tissue sarcoma are more prevalent here, while there is a much lower prevalence of neuroblastoma.