To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Fine-Needle Aspiration for Parotid Gland Lesions More Accurate in University Hospitals Than in Community Hospitals: Presented at ASCP URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/21650A.htm Doctor's Guide October 26, 2007
By Lexa W. Lee NEW ORLEANS, LA -- October 26, 2007 -- Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for evaluation of parotid gland lesions is more common and results are more accurate in a university hospital setting than in a community hospital setting, according to a study presented here at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP). FNA is increasingly being used for evaluating lesions in the parotid gland. In spite of high reported accuracy rates, however, there is some controversy as to its actual utility and whether it should be used in the management of parotid gland neoplasms. There have been few studies comparing the rates of cytohistological correlation in different institutions. Clifton Crowder, MD, resident pathologist in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of consecutive parotidectomy results obtained from 1992 to 2005. Findings from the hospital setting were compared with those from the community hospital setting. There were 346 parotidectomies performed in hospitals and 208 performed at community hospitals. FNA was used prior to the parotidectomies in 60.1% of hospitals procedures versus 23.6% of community hospital procedures (P <.001). Malignant diagnoses were obtained by histology in 34.1% of hospital procedures versus 14.3% of community hospital procedures (P <.01). Adequacy rates were 92.8% versus 73.5%, respectively (P <.001). Clinically useful rates equivalent to or suggestive of the final histological diagnosis were 86.5% versus 67.3%, respectively (P <.01). The investigators concluded that the patterns of FNA use for parotid gland lesions were markedly different in hospital settings versus community hospital settings. In the hospital setting, there was a significantly higher frequency of use of FNA, higher specimen adequacy rate, and higher rate of malignant lesions, as well as more useful FNA results. Dr. Crowder said, "The higher accuracy in the university setting was directly related to the FNA rate -- higher FNA numbers lead to higher accuracy. Also, it may be due to there being a specialty-trained cytopathologist on staff performing the reading versus a general pathologist [in a community setting]." "The next logical step would be too look at whether the outcomes of patients who undergo FNA prior to parotidectomy improve [compared with patients who do not undergo FNA]," Dr. Crowder concluded. [Presentation title: A Tale of Two Hospitals: A Comparison of Utilization and Outcomes of Parotid Gland and Fine-Needle Aspirations in a University and Community Hospital Setting. Poster 17] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.