Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of salivary glands.
 Between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1988, the authors or their associates performed 552 fine-needle aspiration biopsies on patients with clinically significant masses of the salivary glands.
 All patients presented at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals or Clinics of Virginia Commonwealth University; they were followed for periods ranging from 1 to 16 years.
 When available, the fine-needle aspiration diagnoses were correlated with histologic diagnoses and long-term patient outcomes.
 The sensitivity for a neoplasm was 93.3%; the specificity for the absence of a neoplasm was 99%.
 Diagnostic efficiency was 96.4%, and predictive value of a positive aspiration for a neoplasm was 98.3%.
 With fine-needle aspiration, surgical excision of salivary gland masses is often unnecessary.
 In patients with primary and metastatic neoplasms involving the salivary glands, fine-needle aspiration aids the surgeon in mapping the extent of the surgical procedure and in preoperatively preparing the patient.
 The procedure is cost-effective.
