Objective: Our aim was to evaluate factors affecting diagnostic value of the fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) used for the diagnosis of parotid tumors.

Methods: This study included 76 patients with available data who had been operated between 2005 and 2011 in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital. Impact of parameters which might affect the diagnostic value of preoperative FNAB results such as location, size, characteristics (cystic or solid) of the tumors, and use of ultrasonographic guidance (if any) were analyzed.

Results: Sensitivity (63%), specificity (98%), discriminative diagnostic value for benign (93%) and malignant (87.5%) tumors and tumor-specific diagnosis (42.1%) related to FNABs performed were also estimated. Ultrasound-guided FNAB increased adequacy of the material retrieved. A significant correlation has not been detected between diagnostic value of FNAB, location and size of the tumor.

Conclusion: FNAB appears to be a safe, cost-effective and minimally invasive method, which provides preoperative information for both the patient and the physician about parotid tumors with diagnostic accuracy over 90 percent.