Cytoplasmic vacuoles: clue in the fine-needle aspiration diagnosis of melanoma.

For the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis of melanoma recognition of characteristic morphologic features is key. In our practice we noted that cytoplasmic vacuoles in Romanowsky-stained FNA smears of melanoma appeared to be a frequent finding. To investigate this premise, we examined 36 consecutive melanoma FNA cases that had both adequate Papanicolaou-stained and Romanowsky-stained smears in an effort to determine the prevalence, and thereby, the potential diagnostic utility of cytoplasmic vacuoles in the diagnosis of melanoma compared to established cytomorphologic parameters of melanoma.

Fine needle aspiration cytology and diagnostic pitfalls in Warthin's tumor with necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and facial nerve paralysis: a case report.

Background: Warthin's tumor can be associated with various secondary changes that challenge both clinical and cytologic diagnosis.

Case: A 44-year-old man presented with a Warthin's tumor (WT) that was associated with multiple secondary changes. The right parotid mass was present and mostly asymptomatic for 6 years, but during the 7th year, there was pain and ipsilateral facial nerve dysfunction following abrupt increase in size of the mass.

Breast fine-needle aspiration samples reported as "proliferative breast lesion": clinical utility of the subcategory "proliferative breast lesion with atypia".

Background: The fine-needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis of proliferative breast lesion is an indeterminate category. The aim of this correlative study was to determine whether a subcategory of "proliferative breast lesion with atypia" was achievable and whether this subcategory has management utility.

Methods: Breast FNA cases from 2000 through 2005 diagnosed as proliferative breast lesion and proliferative breast lesion with atypia were retrieved.

Extra-salivary gland presentations of adenoid cystic carcinoma: a report of three cases.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a malignant neoplasm most commonly originating in salivary glands of the head and neck area. When ACC presents outside of these locations, the diagnosis may become more challenging. We describe three cases of ACC presenting in extra-salivary gland sites.

Fine-needle aspiration diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma using current WHO classification--re-evaluation of cases from 1999-2004 with new proposals.

With the advent of modern therapy, the differences in prognoses and treatment regimens among different subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have largely vanished. Stage and the presence of systemic symptoms are much more important than histologic subtypes as predictive factors. The current (2001) WHO classification markedly de-emphasizes spatial relationships as critical to the diagnosis of lymphoma and emphasizes cell morphology, immunophenotype, genetic features, and clinical information to define the disease states.

Fine-needle aspiration of a pleomorphic lipoma of the head and neck: a case report.

Pleomorphic lipoma is a rare soft-tissue tumor, most commonly seen in the head and neck regions of middle-aged men. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of these lesions can present a diagnostic challenge. Its large, hyperchromatic cells and multinucleated forms (floret cells) can easily be mistaken for a malignancy.

Cytologic features of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in ThinPrep Papanicolaou test slides: comparison of cases that performed poorly with those that performed well in the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Cervicovaginal Cytology.

Context: Conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) test slides of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) that are frequently misdiagnosed are known to have relatively few dysplastic cells. Whether this is true of cases of HSIL in ThinPrep Pap Test specimens is not known.

Objective: To determine if cases of HSIL in ThinPrep specimens that are frequently missed have relatively few dysplastic cells.

Cytologic features of squamous cell carcinoma in ThinPrep slides: evaluation of cases that performed poorly versus those that performed well in the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Cervicovaginal Cytology.

Context: Although the cytologic features of squamous cell carcinoma in ThinPrep specimens are well known, whether these features are different in cases that are easily identified than in cases that are more difficult to identify is not known.

Objective: To determine the cytologic features of squamous cell carcinoma in ThinPrep specimens that are easy to identify versus those that are difficult.

Design: The cytologic features of 6 cases of squamous cell carcinoma that performed poorly in the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program were compared with 14 cases that performed extremely well.

Fine-needle aspiration of an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the larynx mimicking a thyroid mass.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is most often primary in the major and minor salivary glands but can also arise from the submucosal seromucinous glands of the larynx and trachea. We report a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the larynx that presented as a diffuse swelling in the thyroid area. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was consistent with a neoplastic process, which was difficult to classify further but was felt to be of thyroid origin.

Telecytology of fine-needle aspiration biopsies of the pancreas: a study of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and chronic pancreatitis with atypical epithelial repair changes.

Four experienced cytopathologists provided consultations using telecytology and routine microscopy. Twenty-seven fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) from patients with chronic pancreatitis with atypical epithelial repair changes (n = 9) and pancreatic low-grade adenocarcinomas (LG-AC) (n = 18) were studied. False-positive and false-negative diagnostic rates were 19.

Pilomatrixoma: clinicopathologic study of 51 cases with emphasis on cytologic features.

The clinical and pathologic features of 51 cases of pilomatrixoma found in our archives from 1990-1999 were reviewed, with emphasis on the cytopathologic features of the 22 cases that were sampled by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy prior to excision. Although uncommon, almost 20% of the pilomatrixomas in this series occurred in adults over age 30. Of the commonly reported features, the presence of basaloid cells and ghost cells in FNA smears, associated with a cutaneous location of the lesion, was sufficient for a confident cytologic diagnosis of pilomatrixoma.