Fine Needle Aspiration Cytologic Features Research Articles

Cytopathology of primary sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the thyroid: a multi-institutional case series and review of literature

Sclerosing Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma with Eosinophilia (SMECE) of the thyroid is an extremely rare tumor that exhibits unique histologic characteristics and is nearly always associated with lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT). However, the cytomorphologic and clinicopathologic characteristics of SMECE have only been described in rare case reports. Authors' institution laboratory information systems were searched for records of SMECE between 2012 and 2023. Literature review was performed using keywords "Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia", "thyroid", and "cytopathology" to search through institution electronic library databases for relevant articles. A total of 19 cases were identified, 3 unpublished in the authors' archives and 16 in the literature which had fine needle aspiration (FNA) material or cytologic features available for review, and were comprised of 3 males and 16 females. The common cytomorphologic characteristics of SMECE included fragments or loose clusters of intermediate-type epidermoid cells in a background of prominent LT and eosinophils. Overt keratinization, mucinous cells, and extracellular mucin were not commonly encountered, resulting in diagnostic challenges, especially if eosinophils associated with epithelial cell clusters were rare. The cases were reported as "Nondiagnostic" (1 case), "Atypia of Undetermined Significance" (4 cases), "Suspicious for Malignancy" (3 case), or "Malignant" (11 cases). The clinical course of SMECE of the thyroid varied and distinct cytomorphologic characteristics in a subset of patients who experienced aggressive disease raises the possibility of different prognostic grades. Cases with keratinized squamous cells and necrosis mimic anaplastic (undifferentiated) thyroid carcinoma, but the clinical history and radiologic findings can be helpful to exclude this diagnosis.

Features and diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology of thyroid nodules: retrospective study from Oman.

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid has been a reliable and cost-effective method for diagnosing thyroid disorders. Since FNAC results are usually operator dependent, there is a compelling need to explore FNAC accuracy among Omanis.OBJECTIVE: Describe cytological features of FNAC and assess FNAC accuracy compared to the postsurgical histopathology report.DESIGN: Retrospective diagnostic accuracy studySETTING: Tertiary care center.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our study included adult Omani adult patients with thyroid nodules who underwent FNAC from 2014 to 2017 and had final pathology results for patients who underwent thyroid surgery. The results were classified according to the UK Royal college of Pathologists ‘Thy’ categories. Accuracy of FNAC was calculated by determining false and true positive and negative results based on histopathology findings.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FNAC accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) compared to the postsurgical histopathology.SAMPLE SIZE: 867 patients with 1359 ultrasound guided FNACs of thyroid nodule; 137 underwent surgery.RESULTS: The mean age of the 867 patients was 43.7 (13.3) years, with a median of 42 years, and 87.8% were females. Out of 1359 FNACs, 1001 (73.7%) were benign (Thy2), 119 (8.8%) were atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (Thy3a), 31 (2.3%) were follicular neoplasm or suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (Thy3f), 52 (3.8%) were suspicious for malignancy (Thy4), 55 (4%) were malignant (Thy5), 101 (7.4%) as Unsatisfactory (Thy1). Only 137 patients underwent thyroid surgery, and the FNAC reports were compared with their final histopathology reports. The sensitivity, specificity and total accuracy of FNAC were 80.2%, 98.9% and 89.9%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of FNAC were 98.6% and 84.3%, respectively.CONCLUSION: Our study findings confirmed that FNAC of the thyroid is a sensitive, specific, and accurate initial tool for the diagnosis of thyroid lesions. Most of the FNACs were benign with a very low malignancy rate. Due to the minimal chance of false negative results and the slow-growing nature of thyroid malignancy, it is important that patients with benign FNAC should have periodic clinical and radiological follow-up.LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design and single-center study, and thyroid nodule size unavailable.CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Correlation Between Ultrasound and Cytological Findings of Patients With Suspicious Thyroid Nodules: The King Hamad University Hospital Experience.

BackgroundThyroid nodules are a common presentation in otolaryngology-head and neck clinics. The detection of thyroid nodules has increased significantly with the advancements in radiological technology such as computed tomography and ultrasound (US). The present study aims to improve the clinical practice and management of thyroid disorders by establishing correlations between US and cytological findings in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.MethodologyA retrospective cohort study was conducted at the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH), Bahrain. A total of 189 cases met the study criteria. Pathological records for thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and US features of sampled nodules from the patients were obtained. The cytological results were categorized into the Bethesda grading system, while the US features were organized into internationally accepted features using the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS).ResultsThe radiologic characteristics from US showed positive features largely for the composition (76.2%) and vascularity (59.3%). Very few showed echogenicity (6.9%). Most records indicated negatively for the shape (94.7%), margins (76.2%), echogenicity (63.5%), or echogenic foci (66.1%). Of the 47 cases in TIRADS 1 and 2, only two were found to be Bethesda 4 classification, showing that most of these nodules were benign. Among those with TIRADS 3 on US, 85% turned were benign (Bethesda 2), two of the remaining six were grade 3, and the other four were suspiciously malignant. Of the 100 cases in TIRADS 4 and 5, 63% were of Bethesda grade 2, and therefore, benign, 14% were mildly suspicious, and only 23% were in Bethesda grades 4-6. A significant positive correlation was noted between the TIRADS and Bethesda scores (r = 0.338, p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionsIf the thyroid nodules are classified properly by US using the TIRADS system, the probability of a nodule being malignant can be established with a certain level of confidence. The appropriate management of the nodule can be initiated avoiding unwarranted FNA procedures.

Cytohistological Correlation of Palpable Breast Lesions in a Tertiary Care Centre – A Retrospective Study

Background: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death from cancer among women. WHO reported that around 1lakh new cases of carcinoma breast are diagnosed every year in India and about 70,218 deaths due to breast cancer was estimated in Indian women every year. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment plays an important role in decreasing the mortality due to breast cancer. Presenting complaint in majority of the cases is a palpable lump in the breast. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a simple, fast, inexpensive method and reliable. It is being used as a first line procedure for diagnosing breast lesions
 Aim: This study is aimed to examine the cytological features of FNAC done on palpable breast lesions and to correlate the results of these breast FNAC with the corresponding tissue biopsy reports. Thereby we are determining the accuracy of reporting FNAC breast lesions in our hospital.
 Material and Methods: This is a 1-year retrospective study of breast lumps seen in Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Chennai. All patients who had FNAC of breast lumps with subsequent histological confirmation over this period are included in this study. Cytological diagnosis was categorized as benign, inflammatory, suspicious for malignancy, positive for malignancy and inadequate and compared with histopathological diagnosis for correlation. Statistical analysis was done to test sensitivity specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy.
 Results: This is a 1-year retrospective study of breast lumps seen in Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Chennai. All patients who had FNAC of breast lumps with subsequent histological confirmation over this period are included in this study. Cytological diagnosis were categorized as benign, inflammatory, suspicious for malignancy, positive for malignancy and inadequate and compared with histopathological diagnosis for correlation. Statistical analysis was done to test sensitivity specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy
 Conclusion: FNAC is a quicker, easier, inexpensive, safe and readily acceptable procedure. Though definitive specific diagnosis may not be possible by cytology, but it can be categorized and differential diagnosis can be derived. So, to conclude, Aspiration cytology can be done as a first line procedure but cannot be considered as a substitute for histopathology.

Clinicopathological and Radiological Profile of Multinodular Goitre – A Prospective Study

Introduction Multinodular goitre (MNG) is defined as multiple palpable distinct nodules in the enlarged thyroid gland. MNG can harbour malignancy in 1-10% cases. We undertook the present study to correlate the clinical, radiological and cytological features of MNG with that of final histopathological diagnosis. Materials and Methods A prospective cohort study was done in a tertiary care hospital in northern part of West Bengal from January 2018 to December 2019. Patients aged between 12 years and 75 years, presenting with MNG on clinical examination, were included in the study. We compared the pre-operative ultrasonography (USG) of neck and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) reports with post-operative histopathological examination (HPE) report. Results Among 100 patients 80 were female and 20 were male. Most patients were in 41-50 years age group. For detection of malignancy in MNG, USG had 40% sensitivity, 97.78% specificity, 66.67% positive predictive value (PPV), 93.62% negative predictive value (NPV), and 92% diagnostic accuracy. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC for detection of malignancy in MNG were 20%, 93.33%, 25%, 91.3% and 86% respectively. When USG features were combined with FNAC features non-diagnostic result decreased from 6% to 2% and diagnostic accuracy for detecting malignancy in MNG increased from 86% to 90%. Conclusion USG and FNAC are complementary to each other in the diagnostic workup of MNG. USG guided FNAC is still better for reaching final diagnosis and exclusion of malignancy.

The strength of cytomorphology and efficacy of immuno-cytochemistry in distinguishing hepatocellular carcinoma from its mimics on fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Cytomorphologic distinction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from its mimics on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is often problematic. The present study evaluates the strength of cytomorphology and the utility of an immuno-panel of arginase-1, glypican-3, HepPar-1, thyroid transcription factor (TTF-1) and CK-19 in resolving this diagnostic issue. FNAC features of 71 nodular hepatic lesions were studied with an immunocyto/ histochemical (ICC/IHC) panel of arginase-1, glypican-3, HepPar-1, TTF-1 taking 10% positivity as "cut-off." Cytomorpholologic diagnoses were compared with diagnoses made on combined cytomorphologic and ICC/IHC approach. Of 71 cases, 32, 10 and 29 had histopathologic, cell block and clinico-radiologic correlation respectively with 55 metastatic adenocarcinomas (MAC), 13 HCCs and one case each of hepatic adenoma (HA), cirrhotic nodule (CN) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Cytoplasmic positivity of HepPar-1 and glypican-3 were noted in 11/13 and 8/13 HCCs respectively; while only 3/13 and 1/13 HCCs revealed cytoplasmic positivity for arginase-1 and TTF-1 respectively. Benign hepatic lesions were negative for glypican-3 and TTF-1, but expressed both arginase-1and HepPar-1. Twenty-one of 55 MACs and the lone case of CC were positive for CK-19; however, all MACs and CC cases were negative for HepPar-1, arginase-1, glypican-3 and TTF-1. The immune-panel had sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 100%, 88.9% and 90.6%, respectively, for differentiating HCC from its morphologic mimics. Though a meticulous cytologic evaluation in conjunction with clinicoradiologic profile helps in distinguishing HCC from its benign and malignant mimics; an immunopanel of arginase-1, glypican-3, HepPar-1, TTF-1 and CK-19 drastically improves the diagnostic accuracy.

Comparison between fine-needle aspiration cytology and histopathology in leprosy: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: The objectives of the study were (1) to study the fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) features of skin lesions of leprosy, (2) to determine the agreement between FNAC and histopathology to classify leprosy into different groups of the spectrum, and (3) to determine the sensitivity and specificity of FNAC to classify leprosy into different groups of the spectrum against the gold standard of histopathology. Materials and Methods: All newly diagnosed cases of leprosy who attended the outpatient department of dermatology and venereology of a tertiary referral center during the 16 months study period were included in this cross-sectional study. Based on FNAC and histopathology, patients were classified into different groups of the spectrum. Agreement between FNAC and histopathology to classify leprosy was determined by Kappa statistics. Sensitivity and specificity of FNAC to classify leprosy were determined against the gold standard of histopathology. Results: All the 47 study participants had histopathology features of leprosy. FNAC could obtain adequate aspirate in 30 patients (63.8%), who were considered for further analysis. There was moderate agreement (76.6%) between classification of leprosy by FNAC and histopathology on Kappa statistics (Kappa value 0.766). FNAC showed 80–100% sensitivity and 84–100% specificity to classify leprosy against the gold standard of histopathology. Limitation: Small sample size. Conclusion: When adequate aspirate is obtained, FNAC could serve as a useful tool in classification of leprosy.

Idiopathic granulomatous lobular mastitis: A rare entity with diagnostic dilemma on fine needle aspiration

Idiopathic granulomatous lobular mastitis (IGLM) is an uncommon and rare chronic inflammatory breast disease. The exact etiology is not known. Although various etiologies have been implicated, autoimmunity is favored and widely accepted. In countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, the diagnosis of IGLM is often challenging. Clinical presentation is quite variable. Ultrasonography and mammography findings lack specificity. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology features of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) have been described in few reports, but they are still debatable. We report the case of a 36-year-old female with a hard lump in the left breast. Aspiration cytology smears showed many well-formed epithelioid granulomas and few scattered epithelioid cells. The background showed numerous polymorphonuclear leukocytes with few reactive lymphoid cells and foreign-body giant cells. There was no necrosis. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and fungal stains did not show AFB and fungal hyphae. A diagnosis of IGM was suspected on aspiration cytology. Histopathology examination confirmed the diagnosis. To conclude, though tuberculosis is highly prevalent in India, if breast FNA smears show epithelioid granulomas with numerous polymorphonuclear leukocytes with no necrosis or AFB, IGLM must be suspected.

Atypical cytological presentation of granular cell tumour: Tumour-associated fibrosis may affect fine-needle aspiration cytology accuracy.

The cytological features of granular cell tumour (GCT) are generally quite typical but, in some cases, the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) diagnosis of GCT may be difficult or impossible because of unusual sites of onset or equivocal cytological features. In this report, two GCTs with atypical FNAC features are described in order to investigate the causes and provide possible diagnostic tips. From a series of nine histologically proven GCTs, two inconclusive FNAC cases were retrieved. Smears were poorly cellular showing isolated naked nuclei, anisonucleosis, granular chromatin and occasional small nucleoli. The background was finely granular in one case. Histological controls of these cases revealed marked fibrosis. Tumour-associated fibrosis in GCT is variable and does not seem to influence clinical behaviour but it influences the harvest and the integrity of granular cells collected by FNAC. When GCT smears are poorly cellular, attention should be paid to the granular background and to the few granular cells, if any, as they might be the only features to suggest a GCT.

Bethesda reporting of thyroid FNACS with T3, T4, TSH correlation in a medical college of North Karnataka

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a safe, cost effective and accurate means of evaluating thyroid lesions. Using The Bethesda system of reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC), cytopathologist can communicate thyroid FNA interpretations to the referring physician which is clinically useful. To describe the cytomorphological features of FNAC and correlate with thyroid hormone status in patients presented with diffuse swelling/solitary nodule of thyroid. A total of 50 cases of thyroid FNA s studied for 10 months duration from Dec 2019 to Sept 2020 in the Department of pathology, KBNIMS, Gulbarga. The lesions were evaluated cytologically, categorised according to the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology and correlated with Thyroid hormone profile. Out of 50 cases of thyroid FNAs studied, Females were most commonly affected and most common age group affected was middle aged individuals (31-40yrs). Bethesda Category 2 benign lesions were most commonly present in our study. Benign follicular nodule was more common among non neoplastic lesions. Most of the benign and malignant lesions were euthyroid and hypothyroidism is seen in hashimoto thyroiditis in most cases. FNAC is a simple and cost effective diagnostic modality for thyroid lesions with high specificity and accuracy. cytological analysis in conjunction with thyroid hormone profile, helps clinicians determine the course of therapy in effective management of patients with thyroid lesions.

Post-operative Diagnosis of Primary Parotid Tuberculosis in a Patient Initially Diagnosed as Benign Pleomorphic Adenoma.

Primary parotid tuberculosis is a well-known but extremely rare entity even in endemic countries. Most of the cases are diagnosed late in the course of illness when the parotid shows features of cold abscess leading to facial disfigurement. Early diagnosis is a clinical challenge due to lack of clinical suspicion as well as absence of clinical or radiological tests suggestive of the disease. Fine needle aspiration cytology features of early tuberculosis can easily be confused with a pleomorphic adenoma. When ultrasound examination of a parotid lesion is atypical, image guided core needle biopsy can be helpful in differentiating these kinds of rare diseases from more common parotid pathologies.

Computerized Cytological Features for Papillary Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis-Preliminary Report.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the final diagnosis of thyroid nodules before surgery. It is important to further improve the indeterminate FNAC diagnosis results using computerized cytological features. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 240 cases, of whom 110 had histologic diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancers (PTC), 100 had nodular/adenomatous goiters/hyperplasia (benign goiters), 10 had follicular/Hurthle cell carcinomas, and 20 had follicular adenomas. Morphological and chromatic features of FNAC were quantified and analyzed. The result showed that six quantified cytological features were found significantly different between patients with a histologic diagnosis of PTC and patients with histologic diagnosis of benign goiters in multivariate analysis. These cytological features were used to estimate the malignancy risk in nodules with indeterminate FNAC results. The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUROC) of the diagnostic accuracy with a benign or malignant nature was 81.3% (p < 0.001), 78.7% (p = 0.014), and 56.8% (p = 0.52) for nodules with FNAC results of atypia, which is suspicious for malignancy and follicular neoplasm, respectively. In conclusion, quantification of cytological features could be used to develop a computer-aided tool for diagnosing PTC in thyroid nodules with indeterminate FNAC results.

Association between Fine-needle Aspiration Cytological Features and CD4 Level in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Tuberculous Lymphadenitis Patients Admitted to Haji Adam Malik Hospital in 2017.

BACKGROUND:World Health Organization stated that one-third of the world’s population has tuberculosis with one infected person in every second. In 2015 there were 330,910 tuberculosis cases in Indonesia. This number increased compared to 2014, which amounted to 324,539 cases. HIV-positive patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 50% of TB cases, of which 35% were lymphadenitis. Lymph node fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is considered effective in determining the early diagnosis of lymphadenopathy.AIM:This study aims to evaluate the association between cytological features and CD4 level in HIV-associated tuberculous lymphadenitis patients in Haji Adam Malik Hospital in 2017.METHODS:This is an analytical study with a cross-sectional approach involving 42 samples. Cytological features were obtained by slide reviewed and CD4 level were obtained from the medical record.RESULTS:Analysis of the association of cytological features with CD4 level association revealed p-value of 0.353.CONCLUSION:This indicates that there is no significant association between FNA cytological features and CD4 level in HIV-associated tuberculous lymphadenitis patients.

Infiltrating Epitheliosis of the Breast: Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology.

Epitheliosis (or usual duct hyperplasia) is a proliferation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells located within enlarged acini and small ducts, which is characterized by irregular and peripheral fenestration. Infiltrating epitheliosis (IE) is a specific lesion, characterized by classical epitheliosis flowing out into the adjacent stroma. The stroma is desmoplastic and shows keloid appearance with irregular elastosis. IE can mimic malignancy both on radiological and histological grounds. The aim of the present study is to describe the fine needle aspiration cytological features of 6 consecutive cases of IE, with histological correlation. IE cases presenting as screen detected lesions and preoperatively diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) were reviewed. All patients had radiologically breast lesions suspicious for malignancy that underwent FNAC followed by surgical resection. The FNAC smears presented some features that could lead to a misdiagnosis of malignancy, such as bloody background, high cellularity, and stromal fragments containing epithelial cells. Nevertheless, malignancy was excluded, due to the absence of atypia and the presence of myoepithelial cells in the cell clusters. IE presents a special FNAC pattern that can be misinterpreted as malignancy. Therefore, knowledge is necessary to avoid patient overtreatment.

Diagnostic pitfalls and therapeutic outcomes of the macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma

BackgroundThe macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer (MFVPTC) is a rare histological variant of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), with only 71 cases reported through 2014. This study analyzed the clinical, preoperative thyroid ultrasonography (US), and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) features; and therapeutic outcomes of 11 patients with MFVPTC. MethodsThe records of 393 patients with histologically diagnosed follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC), including 11 with MFVPTC, were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative thyroid US findings, clinical presentation, treatment outcomes, and survival rates were analyzed. ResultMean tumor size was significantly greater in patients with MFVPTC than that in those with FVPTC (4.2 ± 2.1 cm vs. 2.9 ± 1.7 cm; p = 0.016). No patient with MFVPTC had lymph node involvement, but one had a micrometastasis to the lung, which responded well to therapeutic radioiodine. All MFVPTC lesions were isoechoic on US. Eight nodules had calcifications and eight had irregular margins. FNAC showed that these tumors had low cellularity, absence or focal presence of enlarged clear nuclei, and subtle or focal nuclear features of PTC. Cells were, arranged in microfollicular pattern, with abundant colloid background. Multifocal PTCs were detected in the opposite lobe of two patients. All 11 patients with MFVPTC had excellent outcomes. No patient experienced recurrence, and survival rates were high. ConclusionsMalignant US criteria combined with FNAC features have a low preoperative diagnostic rate for MFVPTC. Surgery is recommended for patients with thyroid nodules larger than 4 cm and those with subtle and focal atypical nuclei in FNAC.

Cytopathologic Features in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Arising From Benign Nodular Disease

The presence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) arising from benign nodular disease (PTCAB) is a rare condition. Our study evaluates the clinicopathologic features of PTCAB. PTCAB is extremely rare, and its characteristics have not been well described. From April 2007 through March 2014, 323 patients with PTC were treated at Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital. During this period, 10 cases of PTCAB were found. We also randomly selected 15 cases each of benign and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) for controls. We reviewed the medical records and the cytomorphologic features of fine-needle aspiration cytology and postoperative specimens. There was a significant difference in the rates of capsular invasion (P = 0.003) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.040) between the PTCAB and PTMC groups. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was more prevalent in the PTCAB group (62.5%, P = 0.026). The PTCAB group had a more even and variable distribution from category II to VI by the Bethesda Systems for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (P &amp;lt; 0.001). The most common cytomorphologic features of PTCAB were nuclear grooves (90%), pale chromatin (90%), and follicles (60%). Moderate to high cellularity and anisonucleosis were absent in 90% and 80%, respectively, of PTCAB cases. The only cytomorphologic feature significantly different between PTCAB and PTMC group was cellularity. Clinical characteristics were similar between PTCAB and PTMC. PTCAB has an overlapping pattern of cytomorphologic features between benign nodules and PTMC. However, most PTCAB cases contained a nuclear groove, pale chromatin, numerous follicles, and low cellularity, and these features help to establish a new diagnostic point for PTCAB.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of the papillary thyroid carcinoma with a solid component: A cytological and clinical correlation.

Solid variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is a rare subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) containing a solid component (SC), and thus its cytological and clinicopathological features remain elusive. We examined fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytological features of PTC with variable degrees of SC (20-80% of the tumor)(PTCSC) in comparison to well-differentiated PTC (WPTC). Twenty-six cases of PTCSC were histologically stratified into major-SC (SC >50% of the tumor) and minor-SC (<49%) groups. Pre-operative FNA smears were compared between major-SC (n = 11) and minor-SC (n = 15) groups, and between PTCSC and WPTC (n = 39) groups. In FNA smears of PTCSC, the presence of cohesive solid nests, trabecular patterns, overlapping, enlarged nuclei, pleomorphism, and distinct nucleolus, and the absence of colloid and psammoma bodies were noted more often than in WPTC, while classical cytological features of PTC, such as nuclear grooves and/or pseudo-nuclear inclusions, were preserved. There was no significant difference in FNA findings between the major-SC and minor-SC groups. The presence of either solid nests or trabecular patterns, and overlapping in FNA smears of PTCSC was associated with a higher recurrence rate of the tumor (P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively). PTCSC may pre-operatively be identified by detecting its characteristic cytological features in FNA smears, regardless of the proportion of SC within the tumor. Because clinical outcomes of PTCSC remain undetermined, it is imperative to postulate PTCSC as a differential diagnosis, even when classical nuclear features of PTC are present. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:391-398. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

FNAC of lymph nodes in HIV positive patients—a diagnostic boon

The goal of this study is to examine the fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) features of lymph node lesions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients and to evaluate the role of FNAC in diagnosis. This study also aims to analyze the cytological patterns and available clinicopathological parameters of FNAC. This study was carried out in the Department of Pathology at Government Medical College Miraj and P.V.P.G.H. Sangli from August 2012 to July 2014. FNAC was conducted for all HIV-positive patients with lymphadenopathy referred into this department. A total 70 lymph nodes were aspirated from different sites in 60 HIV-positive cases. The mean age of presentation was 32.4 years with a male predominance (66.7%). The cervical lymph node was the most commonly involved site (70%). The most common lesion was tuberculous lymphadenitis (66.66%) followed by reactive lymphadenitis (13.33%). The most common staining pattern in acid fast bacilli (AFB)-positive tuberculous lymphadenitis was grade 1 (87.88%). The overall AFB positivity in tuberculous lymphadenitis in the present study was 82.5%. The most common cytological pattern was caseous necrosis with epithelioid cell granulomas (60%). The mean CD4 count showed an inverse relationship with increasing grade of AFB positivity. The mean CD4 count was lowest in caseous necrosis-only pattern (330.2 cells/μL). All the cases were consistent with HIV type A lymphadenopathy. Two cases of malignancy was also seen. FNAC is a rapid and cheap procedure that can help in establishing the diagnosis in a large number of cases. It also helps in segregating the lesions that need further evaluation. Comparison of lymph node lesions with CD4 counts, AFB grading, and hematological alterations reflects immunity, stage of disease, and disease activity, thus aiding in better treatment.

Cytomorphologic Diversity of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Introduction:Cytologic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have been extensively documented in literature. However, PTC variants can prove to be diagnostically challenging on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).Aims:To study the FNAC features of PTC and its variants and explore the causes for misdiagnosis.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective study. All cases of histopathologically (HP) confirmed cases of PTC during a 2-year period (January 2012 to December 2013) with presurgical FNAC were included. The cytologic findings and FNAC diagnosis of each case were documented and compared with the HP report. The misdiagnosed cases were reviewed to look for any cytological clues and reasons for misdiagnosis.Results:A total of 58 cases were included. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 55.6% which improved to 64.8% on including suspicious for PTC cases. Follicular variant was the most misdiagnosed variant; 41.2% of the cases were called follicular neoplasm. Oncocytic variant showed cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm along with bizarre giant cells. Warthin tumor-like variant showed cells with moderate eosinophilic cytoplasm with close apposition of lymphocytes in a background of reactive lymphocytes and lymphoid tangles. Cystic variant was paucicellular. Columnar cell variant showed tall columnar cells with nuclear stratification. Cribriform–morular variant showed syncytial sheets of cells and hyaline globules.Conclusions:PTC variants have distinct cytomorphological features. In some variants (follicular, columnar cell), nuclear grooves and inclusions may not be apparent, contributing to the diagnostic confusion. Benign nodule adjacent to the tumor can dominate the FNAC smear and lead to misdiagnosis.

Fine needle aspiration cytology features of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is an uncommon thyroid malignancy with biological behaviour intermediate between well-differentiated and undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma. The cytological diagnosis of PDTC is often difficult as a result of a lack of well-established cytomorphological features and a considerable degree of morphological overlap with other commoner thyroid neoplasms. To review the cytomorphological features of PDTC with the aim of highlighting salient diagnostic morphological features and differential diagnostic problems. Seven cases of histologically proven PDTC with available aspiration cytology smears were reviewed for the presence of distinguishing cytomorphological features. The architectural arrangement of tumour cells was the most important diagnostic parameter. Cellular nests, three-dimensional clusters dyscohesive aggregates and singly dispersed cells in the background were present in all cases. A unique 'garlanded appearance', owing to the peripheral orientation of nuclei within the tumour cell clusters, was noted (71.4%) along with the presence of basement membrane-like material (71.4%). Transgressing vessels (85.7%) and endothelial wrapping of cell clusters (71.4%) were also noted. Interestingly, most cases lacked necrosis and mitotic activity that are included in the histological diagnostic criteria for PDTC. Although PDTC has considerable cytomorphological overlap with well-differentiated thyroid tumours, this present study highlights certain cytomorphological features that may suggest the correct pre-operative diagnosis, important for the appropriate management.