The Efficacy of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Preoperative Evaluation of Parakeratotic Odontogenic Keratocysts

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in preoperative diagnosis of parakeratotic odontogenic keratocyst. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-three cases of odontogenic keratocyst which were evaluated with FNAC prior to enucleation were included in the study. Aspiration smears were stained with Papanicolaou and hematoxylin-eosin stain. Results obtained from FNAC were compared with histopathologic data obtained from the excisional biopsies. RESULTS: Keratotic cell clusters with or without inflammation were identified in all the cytologic smears. No dysplastic changes were seen. The evaluation of the excisional biopsies revealed cystic epithelium which is characterized by palisaded basal cells, a corrugated surface with a lumen containing keratin debris. Two of the cases which revealed satellite cysts were not associated with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome due to the absence of other findings. CONCLUSION: Parakeratotic odontogenic keratocyst can be substantially diagnosed preoperatively utilizing FNAC with a careful evaluation.