Head and Neck Cytopathology:
Practical Tools for Common Cases

February 23-24, 2019

Available Credits 17 CME, 17 SAM

Course Description

Early diagnosis of a myriad of benign and malignant diseases (presenting as swellings) affecting the head and neck provides the best chance for successful treatment. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is an expedient and cost-effective method to sample these masses and is the primary biopsy method for thyroid and salivary glands and a useful approach to evaluate lymph nodes. The majority of practicing pathologists have not completed formal fellowship training in cytopathology and do not have a diagnostic paradigm for these relatively common specimen types. This course is intended to help close the gap by building a strong foundation in head and neck cytopathology and familiarizing attendees with the common diagnostic challenges encountered when evaluating FNA specimens from the thyroid, salivary glands and lymph nodes. The outcome should be an increase in the number of definitive diagnoses, reduction in equivocal diagnoses, and mitigation of repeat FNA or subsequent invasive procedures. The target audience is general pathologists with an interest in cytopathology, pathology residents and fellows, surgical pathology fellows and cytopathology fellows.

Course Objectives

    •  Become competent in diagnosis of some of the most common lesions in head and neck cytopathology
    •  Establish a systematic approach to some of the diagnostic dilemmas in head and neck cytopathology
    •  Understand the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology and the Milan System
       for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology
    •  Learn how to triage FNA specimens from squamous lesions of the head and neck and
       how to test for HPV in this setting
    •  Cultivate pathologists’ confidence to avoid equivocation, reporting delays, and repeat or
       additional diagnostic procedures

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