Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Warthin s Tumor: A Diagnostic tool

Warthin’s tumor, also known as papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum or adenolymphoma, is the second most common benign tumor of the salivary glands. It is commonly seen in lower lobe of the parotid gland and affects mainly male in sixth or seventh decades of life. Studies have shown that there is a close association between Warthin’s tumor and cigarette smoking. Preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of a parotid mass plays a pivotal role in differentiating neoplastic from inflammatory lesion as well as management of patients. We report a case of a 70 year old male chronic smoker who presented with painless swelling in the parotid region bilaterally.