Lymphoepithelial carcinoma: a case of a rare parotid gland tumor.

A 29-year-old woman presented from another hospital with a 10-month history of an enlarging left-sided facial mass. Computed tomographic scan revealed a mass in the superficial lobe of the left parotid gland with left-sided cervical lymphadenopathy. The patient received a total left parotidectomy and a selective neck dissection.

Comparison of ThinPrep versus conventional smear cytopreparatory techniques for fine-needle aspiration specimens of head and neck masses.

Objectives: Diagnostic accuracy of the ThinPrep process (Cytyc, Boxborough, MA) was compared with that of conventional (smear) cytopreparation for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of head and neck masses.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, single-blinded study, 209 patients served as their own controls and underwent 236 FNAs using ThinPrep and conventional (smear) cytopreparatory techniques.

Results: ThinPrep produced less air-drying artifact and less mechanical distortion than the conventional method.