Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Salivary Glands: A Practical Review

The usage of real-time ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy by cytopathologists has increased the utility of biopsy in management of patients with salivary gland neoplasms. There is significant overlap between cytologic features of salivary gland neoplasms, and likewise, there is analogous overlap between ultrasound radiologic features of these lesions. However, ultrasound radiologic evaluation can provide important information for the cytopathologist when performing and interpreting a biopsy of a salivary gland neoplasm, including the specific anatomic location and structure of a target lesion. We present a practical guide for using ultrasound evaluation in the biopsy of the salivary glands for the practicing cytopathologist including common pitfalls, common lesional characteristics, and relevant lymph node morphological findings.