Cytopathology Case 15

Fine Needle Aspirate of Parotid Gland Mass in a 53 year-old Woman

by Randy Lamb, MD

Editor: Benjamin L. Witt, MD, Medical Director, Cytopathology, ARUP Laboratories, and Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Utah.


A 53-year-old woman was seen at the head and neck clinic for a left parotid mass that had been present for approximately one year. She indicated that she was having some numbness and tingling over the area. She has never had any skin cancers and has no known cancer history. A cervical spine CT showed the mass to be 2 cm and located in the tail of the left parotid gland.

A fine needle aspiration (FNA) was requested. The cytology images are from the FNA of the parotid gland mass.

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Cytomorphology Description:

Microscopic Features:

  • Low power smear showing a predominance of cohesive nests of proliferating cells with focal magenta-colored matrix material.(fig. 1)
  • Cohesive groups of benign-appearing epithelial cells.(fig. 2).
  • Chondromyxoid matrix with fibrillary outlines and embedded spindled cells.(fig. 3).
  • Bland spindle-shaped cells.(fig. 4).
  • Dispersed plasmacytoid cells.(fig. 5).

Final Diagnosis & Discussion

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