Introduction: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a ubiquitous tumour which can occur in several sites of the human body. Commonly, it affects the salivary glands but also can rarely occur in various extra-salivary locations.
Aim: To study the clinical and cytological features of extra-salivary ACC on fine needle aspiration cytology.
Methods: In this paper, we included 27 patients with extra-salivary ACC on fine needle aspiration cytology over a period of 5.5 years. The complete cytomorphological spectrum of extra-salivary ACC was studied.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 50.2 years, with age ranging between 14 and 80 years. Male to female ratio was 1:1.7 with 17 females and 10 males. The most frequent primary site was the orbit, and the most frequent sites of metastasis were liver and lung.
Conclusion: Cytopathologists should be alert about the full range of location as well as the cytological spectrum of extra-salivary ACC for greater precision in diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Keywords: adenoid cystic carcinoma; fine-needle aspiration cytology.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.