Parotid Warthin's tumour Bristol Royal Infirmary (1985–1995): a study of histopathology in 33 cases

Abstract This is a study of 33 (32 patients) confirmed Warthin's tumours (adenolymphomas) treated surgically at Bristol Royal Infirmary (1985–1995) focussing specifically upon 17 salient histopathological features together with capsular measurement by micrometry. Twenty-four out of 33 tumours had ‘thin’ capsules (⩽200 μm), whereas 5/9 ‘thick’ capsules were associated with gross tumour degeneration. The degenerative features including cystic change, squamous metaplasia, corpora amylacea like bodies, etc. were quantified. Tumours were classified into subtypes (typical, stroma poor, etc). These variations were not associated with age or sex. In 20/33 tumours a marginal sinus suggested a lymph node origin. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA) smears showing degeneration features are a diagnostic problem, but histopathological features are reflected in such smears and their recognition enhances diagnostic precision, enabling controlled surgical enucleation, the ideal operation, to be performed in most cases. In this study only 12 tumours were so treated; 11 others received parotidectomy. The theories of histogenesis are reviewed and discussed.