A method for the rapid and selective extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from particulate phase mainstream cigarette smoke was developed using microwave assisted extraction. This system allows the simultaneous extraction of many samples ensuring optimum temperature homogeneity within the solution in each vessel. The samples, prior to the cromatographic analysis, are cleaned up using solid phase extraction (SPE). The analytes are determined from the smoke sample by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The smoke from 10 cigarettes is collected on a glass fiber filter pad which is extracted in a microwave apparatus using a hexane - acetone solution. The extracted sample was loaded on silica SPE cartridge and eluted with pure hexane. The solvent was evaporated to dryness under a gentle flow of nitrogen. The elutes were reconstituted in acetonitrile for HPLC analysis. Validation tests were carried out to assess recoveries and repeatability for the PAHs at various concentration levels. Limits of detection and quantification of the method were determined. The procedure was applied to the analysis of several commercial cigarette brands. Good results in agreement with data reported in literature are obtained by this procedure.