T F Warner — Page 7 | Search PubMed

BACKGROUND: Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor of uncertain origin usually affecting young adults. This neoplasm has early metastatic potential. Its cytologic features, particularly when presenting with metastases, have rarely been described. CASE: A 23-year-old male presented with shortness of breath and scapular pain. Routine chest roentgenograms revealed multiple lung nodules. Malignancy was established by percutaneous fluoroscopically guided fine needle aspiration on a lung nodule. Possible metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma was suggested by cytology among few considerations in the differential diagnosis. Alveolar soft part sarcoma was confirmed by lung core biopsy and further supported by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Tumor cells expressed muscle-specific actin and myoglobin, and contained diastase-resistant inclusions with periodic acid-Schiff stain. Ultrastructurally, peculiar, elongated intracytoplasmic crystalline bodies typical of this neoplasm were identified. A meticulous clinical search led to finding the primary tumor deeply located in the right posterior thigh. CONCLUSION: Aspiration cytology is a reliable, cost-efficient technique in the diagnostic workup of masses suspicious for malignancy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Aggregates of cytofilaments as the cause of the appearance of hyaline tumor cells.

Cells resembling the hyaline cells of mixed salivary tumors have been identified in islet cell tumors, basal cell carcinoma, epithelioid leiomyoma, and an hepatic apudoma. Cytofilaments of intermediate size were present in these cells of electron microscopy and the distinctive hyaline appearance of cytoplasm is ascribed to large aggregates of these.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗