• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 2005

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been used extensively in the diagnosis of metastatic malignancies. However, metastatic soft tissue sarcomas are often overlooked, primarily due to the low frequency with/ which they occur. Here, we report a rare case of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in both cervical lymph nodes, which was detected by FNAC. A 45-year-old woman presented with anosmia, postnasal drip, and sneezing, symptoms which had persisted for 1 month. The patient was found to have a tumorous lesion at the upper portion of the mid-turbinate, with multiple enlarged cervical lymph nodes, and this lesion was examined closely at our facility. FNA cytology smears obtained from both cervical lymph nodes revealed a high degree of cellularity, and displayed cohesive clusters with gland-like spaces, as well as single isolated cells with abundant karyorrhectic debris. The tumor cells exhibited round to oval nuclei containing fine chromatin, occasional small nucleoli, and scanty cytoplasm, or a total lack of cytoplasm. Some of the tumor cells were arranged in multinucleated forms and abundant dense eosinophilic cytoplasms, reminiscent of a rhabdomyoblast. The histological findings on the lymph nodes revealed an outstanding sinusoidal infiltration and a prominent alveolar growth pattern, interspersed with occasional typical rhabdomyoblasts. The immunohistochemical results [desmin (+), myoglobin (+), myogenin (+), pan CK (-), synaptophysin (-), neuron specific enolase (-)] supported a confirmative diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a representative sarcoma, which typically manifests with nodal metastasis and carcinoma-like clustering. The cytopathologist should remain alert upon encountering unusual morphology, so that the possibility of this condition, although somewhat remote, should not be dismissed or overlooked.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 1993

Amyloid tumor is a tumorlike localized deposit of amyloid which is encountered occasionally in association with multiple myeloma and various chronic inflammatory diseases. This report describes a case of solitary amyloid tumor of the neck which was the presenting symptom arising in association with multiple myeloma. A 56-year-old woman complained of a palpable neck mass and fine needle aspiration was done. Multiple myeloma was diagnosed on the basis of the bone marrow biopsy and monoclonality of kappa light chain. The histologic and cytologic features of the amyloid appear to be characteristic and may allow a definitive diagnosis to be made on needle aspiration biopsy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.76-81
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• 2003

Apocrine carcinoma of the breast is a very rare subtype. Although it has no clinical differences from usual ductal carcinoma of the breast, it should be categorized as a subtype of breast carcinoma because the cells of apocrine carcinoma reveal characteristic abundant eosinophillic cytoplasms with intraductal apical snouting as well as round or oval nuclei and central macronucleoli. On fine needle aspiration cytology, the cells of apocrine carcinoma have a lot of similarity to benign or reactive apocrine cells of the breast. Therefore, it is difficult to make a differential diagnosis of apocrine carcinoma from mammary neoplasms with similar cytologic findings unless the subtle cytologic differences are recognized. We report the cytologic and histologic findings of a case of apocrine carcinoma in the breast of a 40-year-old female patient. After the fine needle aspiration cytology, she received the lumpectomy and lymph node dissection. The cellularity was moderate to high. The cytoplasmic borders of tumor cells of three-dimensional clusters were relatively distinctive, and the cytoplasm was abundant, eosinophilic, and granular. Although the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio was low, the nuclei of the cells were variable in size and shape with prominent macronucleoli. Histologically, it was a typical invasive apocrine carcinoma, showing numerous cytoplasmic lysosomes and mitochondriae on electron microscopy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.10039-10043
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• 2014

Background: In Pakistan thyroid cancer is responsible for 1.2% cases of all malignant tumors. Ultrasonography (US) is helpful in detecting cancerous thyroid nodules on basis of different features like echogenicity, margins, microcalcifications, size, shape and abnormal neck lymph nodes. We therefore aimed to calculate diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in detection of carcinoma in thyroid nodules taking fine needle aspiration cytology as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was designed to prospectively collect data from December 2010 till December 2012 from the Department of Radiology in Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 100 patients of both genders were enrolled after informed consent via applying non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Patients referred to Radiology department of Aga Khan University to perform thyroid ultrasound followed by fine-needle aspiration cytology of thyroid nodules were included. They were excluded if proven for thyroid malignancy or if their US or FNAC was conducted outside our institution. Results: The subjects comprised 76 (76%) females and 24 males. Mean age was $41.8{\pm}SD$ 12.3 years. Sensitivity and specificity with 95%CI of ultrasound in differentiating malignant thyroid nodule from benign thyroid nodule calculated to be 91.7% (95%CI, 0.72-0.98) and 78.94% (0.68-0.87) respectively. Reported positive predictive value and negative PV were 57.9% (0.41-0.73) and 96.8% (0.88-0.99) and overall accuracy was 82%. Likelihood ratio (LR) positive was computed to be 4.3 and LR negative was 0.1. Conclusions: Ultrasonography has a high diagnostic accuracy in detecting malignancy in thyroid nodules on the basis of features like echogenicity, margins, micro calcifications and shape.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1995

Two hundred and twenty one consecutive patients with enlarged lymph nodes of the neck were diagnosed as metastatic carcinoma by fine needle aspiration. The metastatic carcinomas were most frequent in the supraclavicular lymph nodes (p<0.05). As a primary site, lung, stomach, upper respiratory tract and breast were commonly involved in descending order of frequency. Overall, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common in males (43%) while adenocarcinoma was the most common in females (72%) (p<0.05). While carcinomas of the esophago-gastro-intestinal tract showed a tendency to metastasize to the left supraclavicular lymph nodes, metastatic carcinomas of the lung and breast usually metastasized to the same side as that of the primary cancer with a predilection for the supraclavicular lymph nodes. The submandibular lymph nodes were frequently involved by carcinoma of the upper and lower respiratory tract, in which squamous cell carcinoma was the most prevalent cytologic type. Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology is the first step in the workup of patients with nodal enlargement suspicious for malignancy, particularly in metastatic carcinoma.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.38-41
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• 2011

Background and Objectives : Although it is well established that patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) have a highly favorable prognosis, the extent of thyroid surgery for PTMC remains unclear. According to the 2011 revised Korean Thyroid Association guideline, the choice of surgical strategy(total thyroidectomy versus lobectomy) for PTMC depends on solely preoperative diagnostic scrutinies-ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration cytology. We want to know how accurately these preoperative diagnostic scrutinies define the choice of surgical strategy for PTMC. Materials and Methods : For 119 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection for PTMC, retrospectively, we compared the choice of surgery according to preoperative work up and postoperative pathologic findings. Results : Overall accuracy of the choice of surgery by preoperative work up was 61%. Among patients recommended lobectomy on preoperative work up, completion thyroidectomy on postoperative pathology might be necessary for 60% of patients and hidden central node metastasis was revealed in 31% of patients. Conclusions : The results of this study compel us to reinvestigate the current treatment guideline for PTMC. On current guideline according to the sonography and fine needle aspiration cytology, it might be thought to be better to choose more aggressive surgical strategy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 1991

Liver is generally known as an organ which is most commonly involved by the metastic tumors. According to the tendency of using fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of hepatic tumors, the differentital diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma frequently has been a main issue in the poorly differentitated cases, especially to the pathologists of Korea, an endemic area of hepatocellular carcinoma. Until now the problem has been usually solved by the comparison of cytologic characteristics of their tumor cells but not by background cytologic features which rarely have been studied. We observed the background cytologic features helpful for the differential diagnosis through the analysis of 20 cases who had confirmed primary cancer and were diagnosed as metastatic carcinomas in the liver by fine needle aspiration cytology. Twenty cases included 9 adenocarcinomas, 7 spuamous cell carcinomas, 1 small cell carcinoma, 1 carcinoid, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 1 renal cell cacinoma. Analysis of background cytologic features revealed that 77% of adenocacinoma cases showed benign mesenchymal components and hepatocytes and spuamous cell carcinoma cases disclosed benign mesenchymal tissue (71%) and necrosis (57%), Remaining cases showed variable combinations of benign mesenchymal component, necrosis, hepatocytes, and bile duct epithelial cells. No case revealed atypical hepatocytic naked nuclei, a useful cytologic finding of hepatocellular carcinoma. In summary, the background cytologic features more commonly observed in metastatic carcinomas than in the hepatocellular carcinoma were benign mesenchymal components, hepatocytes, necrosis, and bile duct epithelium. The endothelial cells and hepatocytic naked nuclei, two relatively specific findings of hepatocellular carcinoma were not observed except for renal ceil carcinoma. Above background cytologic features are thought to be helpful for the differential diagnosis between the hepatocellular carcinoma and various metastatic carcinomas in the poorly differentiated cases.

• Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.404-410
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• 2018

Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology serves as a safe, economical tool in evaluating thyroid nodules. However, about 30% of the samples are categorized as indeterminate. Hence, many immunocytochemistry markers have been studied, but there has not been a single outstanding marker. We studied the efficacy of CD56 with human bone marrow endothelial cell marker-1 (HBME-1) in diagnosis in the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) category III. Methods: We reviewed ThinPrep liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples with Papanicolaou stain from July 1 to December 31, 2016 (2,195 cases) and selected TBSRTC category III cases (n=363). Twenty-six cases were histologically confirmed as benign (six cases, 23%) or malignant (20 cases, 77%); we stained 26 LBC slides with HBME-1 and CD56 through the cell transfer method. For evaluation of reactivity of immunocytochemistry, we chose atypical follicular cell clusters. Results: CD56 was not reactive in 18 of 20 cases (90%) of malignant nodules and showed cytoplasmic positivity in five of six cases (83%) of benign nodules. CD56 showed high sensitivity (90.0%) and relatively low specificity (83.3%) in detecting malignancy (p=.004). HBME-1 was reactive in 17 of 20 cases (85%) of malignant nodules and was not reactive in five of six cases (83%) of benign nodules. HBME-1 showed slightly lower sensitivity (85.0%) than CD56. The specificity in detecting malignancy by HBME-1 was similar to that of CD56 (83.3%, p=.008). CD56 and HBME-1 tests combined showed lower sensitivity (75.0% vs 90%) and higher specificity (93.8% vs 83.3%) in detecting malignancy compared to using CD56 alone. Conclusions: Using CD56 alone showed relatively low specificity despite high sensitivity for detecting malignancy. Combining CD56 with HBME-1 could increase the specificity. Thus, we suggest that CD56 could be a useful preoperative marker for differential diagnosis of TBSRTC category III samples.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 1998

To compare the diagnostic yields and complication rates of transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) and gun biopsy in the diagnosis of pulmonary mass, a retrospective review was performed in 125 cases. Under the fluoroscopic guide, FNAC was performed by 20G Chiba needle in 91 cases, core biopsy was done by 18.5 G vaccum needle attached with automated biopsy gun in 74 cases and both procedures were done together in 37 cases. Overall sensitivity was 88.4% in FNAC and 87.5% in gun biopsy. For malignant pulmonary tumors, correct type correlation with final diagnosis was obtained in 33(76.7%) out of 43 cases by FNAC and 30(75.0%) out of 40 cases by gun biopsy. For benign pulmonary lesions, there were correct type correlation in 14(35.0%) out of 40 cases by FNAC and 14(53.8%) out of 26 cases by gun biopsy. The complication was pneumothorax and hemoptysis. Pneumothorax occured in 11.1% of FNAC, 10.9% of gun biopsy and 10.9% of both technique, among which chest tube drainages were necessary in one patient by gun biopsy and in three patients by both technique. Although no significant difference of diagnositc accuracy and complication rate was found between FNAC and gun biopsy, gun biopsy was more helpful in the diagnosis of pulmonary benign lesions than FNAC.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 2001

A 20-year-old young man who had undergone treatment for a suprasellar/perichiasmal tumor 2 years before, was presented with a huge palpable splenic mass. A fine needle aspiration cytology from the splenic mass showed dissociated large pleomorphic tumor cells having irregular nuclear outline, coarse chromatin, and one or two macronucleoli, and scattered small lymphocytes in fine granular background. Above cytologic findings were regarded as the characteristics of germinoma. Differential diagnosis from the large cell lymphoma of spleen was emphasized.