Core or fine needle assessment in lymphadenopathy and salivary gland tumours
Reviewed by Stuart Clark

This paper from the Republic of Korea analyses 278 patients retrospectively, 112 of which underwent fine need aspiration and 166 core needle biopsies. Eleven patients had indeterminate fine needle aspiration cytology, six of whom had an additional core biopsy. The remaining five went straight to surgical excision. The overall sensitivities of fine needle aspiration cytology and core needle biopsy were 66.7% and 100% respectively. In diagnosing lymphoma, fine needle aspiration cytology gave false negative results in all patients. Sensitivity of fine needle aspiration cytology and core needle biopsy were 42.9% and 100% in diagnosing malignant salivary gland tumours. The authors confirmed core needle biopsy was superior in diagnosing and distinguishing critical diseases, such has malignant lymphadenopathy, tuberculosis and salivary gland tumour. The sensitivities they suggest for fine needle aspiration cytology appear alarmingly small. 

Analysis for efficacy and safety core needle biopsy versus fine needle aspiration cytology in patients with cervical lymphadenopathy and salivary gland tumour.
Park YM, Oh KH, Cho JG, et al.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY
2018;47:1229-35.