Journal of Oncology Translational Research

Fine needle aspiration cytology of Jaw bone lesions emphasis on utility and pitfalls

Abstract

Meenakshi Chowdhary

FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) of head and neck region was pioneered by Martin in the early 1930s. FNAC is a frequently used for diagnosis of abnormal masses. FNAC is minimally invasive first line investigation which can render an accurate preoperative diagnosis of intraosseous jaw lesions, especially the malignant ones in the enigmatic circle of clinic-radiological differentials. Although FNAC of intraosseous lesions is difficult to perform compared with soft tissue lesions, it still can be used for preoperative diagnosis in selected cases. Biopsy being gold standard of preoperative diagnosis would be cumbersome and traumatic when surgery is mainstay of treatment. Still, diagnostic evaluation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions has increased dramatically when it comes to jaw lesions and surgery. For the diagnosis of lymph nodes, salivary glands, and thyroid and parathyroid gland diseases, FNAC have proven to be boon. It’s apt to mention that FNAC is a simple, rapid, and minimally invasive procedure in contrast to biopsy, its use in the diagnosis of odontogenic tumors including ameloblastomas. But role of FNAC in respect to typing of odontogenic tumors has not been explored much.