Needle aspiration cytology of an oncocytic carcinoma of the parotid gland

A needle aspirate biopsy of a parotid neoplasm yielded uniform benign oncocytic cells consistent with oncocytoma. The subsequent surgical specimen demonstrated an oncocytic carcinoma with vascular and perineural invasion. These findings are analogous to those of oxyphilic tumors of the thyroid gland where cytologic features often do not allow for distinction between benign and malignant lesions.