Kimura's disease. Diagnosis by aspiration cytology.

Objective: To characterize the cytologic features of Kimura's disease and distinguish the differentiating features from those of other conditions with similar cytologic findings.

Study Design: In eight cases of Kimura's disease the cytologic features were correlated with the histologic findings.

Results: The cytologic features included a polymorphous lymphoid population with an admixture of significant numbers of eosinophils, fragments of collagenous tissue, endothelial cells and occasional polykaryocytes.

Conclusion: Various conditions, both benign and malignant, may mimic Kimura's disease clinically and on smears. These have to be ruled out before making a diagnosis of Kimura's disease. The cytologic features of Kimura's disease have to be interpreted in the appropriate clinical setting in order to make a correct preoperative diagnosis.