Devajit Nath Additional Professor, Department of Pathology Postgraduate Institute of Child Health, Sector 30, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Adity Sarma Professor, Department of Pathology, Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, India
Address for correspondence: Devajit Nath, Additional Professor, Department of Pathology Postgraduate Institute of Child Health, Sector 30, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India E-mail: devajit_nath@yahoo.co.in
This license
enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any
medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as
attribution is given to the creator.
Devajit Nath, Adity Sarma. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology for Diagnosis of Malignant Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland: A Case Report. Ind Jr of Path: Res and Practice 2025; 14(2) 68-70.
Timeline
Received : May 14, 2025
Accepted : June 16, 2025
Published : August 30, 2025
Abstract
Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an essential tool for diagnosing salivary gland tumors. Here we present a case involving a 45-year-old woman with an eight-year history of a slowly growing, painless swelling in her right parotid gland. FNAC showed clusters of polygonal cells with vacuolated cytoplasm, round nuclei, and prominent nucleoli in a bromuscular background, suggestive of acinic cell carcinoma (ACC). Surgical excision and histopathological analysis firm the diagnosis. This case highlights FNAC’s crucial role in the early detection and diagnosis of rare salivary gland malignancies.
2. Ellis G.L., Auclair P.L. Tumors of the Salivary Glands. Washington: AFIP Atlas of Tumor Pathology; 2008.
3. Hoffman H.T., Karnell L.H., Robinson R.A., Pinkston J.A., Menck H.R. National Cancer Data Base report on cancer of the head and neck: Acinic cell carcinoma. Head Neck. 1999; 21(4): 297-309.
4. Klijanienko J., Vielh P. Fine-needle sampling of salivary gland lesions III: cytology and histology correlation of 75 cases of acinic cell carcinoma. DiagnCytopathol. 1997; 17(5): 347-52.
5. Nagel H., Hotze H.J., Laskawi R., Chilla R., Droese M. Cytologic diagnosis of acinic-cell carcinoma of salivary glands. DiagnCytopathol. 1999; 20(6): 402-12.
6. Schindler S., Nayar R., Dutra J., Bedrossian C.W. Diagnostic challenges in aspiration cytology of the salivary glands. Semin Diagn Pathol. 2001; 18(2): 124-46.
7. Elsheikh T.M., Bernacki E.G. Fine needle aspiration cytology of cellular pleomorphic adenoma with emphasis on diagnostic pitfalls. DiagnCytopathol. 1996; 14(1): 59-64.
8. Seethala R.R., Barnes E.L. Rare malignant tumors of the salivary glands. SurgPathol Clin. 2011; 4(4): 1167-78.
9. Skalova A., Michal M., Simpson R.H., et al. Acinic cell carcinoma of salivary glands with high-grade transformation: clinicopathologic study of 9 cases. Am J SurgPathol. 2009; 33(8): 1137-45.
10. Vander Poorten V., Triantafyllou A, Thompson L.D., et al. Salivary acinic cell carcinoma: Reappraisal and update. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016; 273(11): 3511-31.
Data Sharing Statement
There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.
Funding
This research received no funding.
Author Contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.
Ethics Declaration
This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.
Conflicts of Interest
No conflicts of interest in this work.
About this article
Cite this article
Devajit Nath, Adity Sarma. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology for Diagnosis of Malignant Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland: A Case Report. Ind Jr of Path: Res and Practice 2025; 14(2) 68-70.
This license
enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any
medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as
attribution is given to the creator.
This license
enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any
medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as
attribution is given to the creator.
Description: A cohesive cluster of polygonal cells with abundant granular cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei. The background
is clean, with minimal inflammation
Heading
Description: Smaller cluster of tumor cells showing granular basophilic cytoplasm and round nuclei with bland chromatin
Heading
Description: Loosely cohesive clusters and scattered cells with moderate pleomorphism and prominent nucleoli, in a proteinaceous background
Heading
Description: Large cell cluster with eccentrically placed nuclei and prominent cytoplasmic granularity, consistent with acinar differentiation