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Comparative genomic hybridization of fine needle aspirates from breast carcinomas.

Detailed knowledge of chromosomal aberrations in a specific tumor may facilitate the development of individually tailored chemotherapy, hormone or gene therapy. Unfortunately, karyotype analysis requires living cells and is complicated by the low number of good metaphase spreads obtained. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), however, is capable of detecting and mapping genome-wide amplifications and deletions using an equimolar mixture of normal and tumor cell DNA. We show here that even the few cells from a fine needle aspirate of a tumor are sufficient for a direct CGH assay, independent of DNA amplification. Ten primary breast cancers were analyzed by CGH. A fresh frozen fine needle aspirate and a formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded section were used for each tumor. Metaphases from each CGH reaction were imaged, and a sum ratio profile was determined for every chromosome. The ratio profiles of DNA isolated from the 2 material sources were then compared. Fine needle aspirates and the paraffin-embedded material of a single tumor yielded the same fluorescence ratio profiles, albeit with slightly different confidence intervals. Different tumors showed a variety of aberrations. The most frequently observed changes were 1q+, 8q+, 14q-, 16p+, 16q-, 17p-, 17q+, 19q+, 20q+, 21q- and 22q-. The ability of CGH to assess chromosomal changes in breast cancer from fine needle aspirates could facilitate genetic evaluation of tumors prior to surgery.

Adult↗

Diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor by fine-needle aspiration biopsy: a cytological and immunocytochemical study.

The diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is generally established on histopathologic examination of surgical specimens. The present study was undertaken to characterize the cytologic appearance of these tumors and to assess the utility of fine-needle aspirates, including immunocytochemistry for the demonstration of c-kit (CD117) and CD34, in the preoperative diagnosis. The study comprised preoperative fine-needle aspirates in three cases and aspirates performed on fresh surgical specimens in eight cases. The routinely stained smears revealed a mesenchymal cell population, predominated by spindle cells. In five of six cases a strong positivity for c-kit was demonstrated and in three of five cases a strong CD34-expression was found in the tumor cells. These results show that fine-needle aspiration appears to be a useful method for the recognition and diagnosis of GISTs or ICC (interstitial cell of Cajal) tumors.

Antigens, CD34↗

A prospective study of the safety of joint and soft tissue aspirations and injections in patients taking warfarin sodium.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety of joint or soft tissue aspirations and injections in patients taking warfarin sodium. METHODS: The outcome of 32 joint or soft tissue aspirations or injections in patients receiving stable doses of warfarin sodium was assessed through a standardized interview 4 weeks after the procedure. The primary outcome measure was significant joint or soft tissue hemorrhage, ascertained by patient-reported increases in swelling or warmth at the procedure site. RESULTS: None of 32 procedures was complicated by joint or soft tissue hemorrhage reported by the patients, yielding, by the "rule of threes," a risk of significant hemorrhage of < 10% (with 95% certainty). Diagnostic information was obtained for 53% of aspirated sites (8 of 15) and therapeutic benefit was noted in 74% of corticosteroid-injected sites (17 of 23). CONCLUSION: Joint or soft tissue injections and aspirations in selected patients taking warfarin sodium are associated with a low risk of hemorrhage and are often of diagnostic or therapeutic value.

Aged↗

Dry tap bone marrow aspiration: clinical significance.

Failure to obtain bone marrow on attempted marrow aspiration, "dry tap," has commonly been ascribed to faulty technique. All reports of simultaneous marrow aspirations and biopsies performed at the University of Virginia between January 1, 1983, and July 1, 1989, were reviewed to determine the frequency of dry taps, the diagnoses and pathologic findings in these cases, and the associated laboratory findings. Among 2,235 simultaneous bone marrow aspirations and biopsies, 87 were dry taps (3.9%). Of these 87 dry taps, only six (6.9%) showed normal marrow biopsies, whereas the majority showed significant marrow pathology, usually associated with fibrosis, or hypercellularity, or both. These conditions most likely account for the inability to aspirate marrow. The most frequent diagnoses were metastatic carcinoma (17.2%), chronic myelogenous leukemia (14.9%), idiopathic myelofibrosis (13.8%), and hairy cell leukemia (10.3%). The presence of peripheral blood nucleated red blood cells, thrombocytopenia, and elevation of the serum lactate dehydrogenase were frequent findings in patients who experienced dry taps. Methods to obtain sufficient marrow for rapid diagnosis in these cases are discussed.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Repeated aspiration of breast cysts--a safe procedure.

We have made a retrospective study of 197 patients who underwent 367 breast cyst aspirations and in whom the fluid obtained was sent for cytological examination between January 1974 and August 1976. Four specimens were reported as showing malignant cells in the aspirate. All of these were excised and 3 were confirmed to be malignant. A further 8 showed bizarre or atypical appearances, of which four were excised and 1 was malignant. The other 4 were subjected to repeat aspiration, at which time typical benign appearances were reported and no further action taken. No tumour developed in the follow-up period of at least 2 years. Of the patients whose initial cytology was benign, 51 were subjected to repeated aspiration of clinically recurrent cysts, 28 on 3 or more occasions. Ten patients underwent excision biopsy of histologically benign lesions. None of these 51 patients developed a malignant tumour at the site of the cyst in the 2-year follow-up period.

Breast Diseases↗

Combination fine-needle aspiration cytology and intrarenal manometry at the onset of renal dysfunction.

Twenty-three consecutive cadaveric renal allograft recipients immunosuppressed with cyclosporin have been monitored three times a week by fine-needle aspiration cytology and intrarenal manometry until discharge from hospital or until 30 days post-transplant. Standard criteria were used to determine the cause of allograft dysfunction. The onset of allograft rejection was marked by an elevation of the total corrected increment score by fine-needle aspiration cytology in 80 per cent of rejection episodes whereas intrarenal pressure was raised in only 46.6 per cent. However, intrarenal pressure was greater than 40 mmHg on a single occasion in 16 measurements performed on allografts showing evidence of cyclosporin nephrotoxicity. By combining fine-needle aspiration cytology and intrarenal manometry the sensitivity of these tests for allograft rejection was increased to 93.3 per cent at the onset of renal dysfunction. Our results demonstrate that fine-needle aspiration cytology is more sensitive than intrarenal manometry as a single investigation. However, the combined test may have an important role in the differentiation of allograft rejection and cyclosporin nephrotoxicity in the early management of renal allograft recipients.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Peritoneal aspiration cytology as a diagnostic aid in acute appendicitis.

A total of 110 consecutive patients presenting to one surgical firm with suspected acute appendicitis underwent peritoneal aspiration cytology. Aspiration was successful in 108 patients and 44 were positive. Patients with a positive result underwent emergency surgery; 42 had histologically proven acute appendicitis and two peritonitis of other causes. Seven patients with a negative result underwent appendicectomy; four had acute appendicitis and three a normal appendix. Peritoneal aspiration cytology had a sensitivity for acute appendicitis of 91 per cent and a specificity of 94 per cent. The positive predictive value of the test was 95 per cent and the negative predictive value 94 per cent. The negative appendicectomy rate was 10 per cent overall and 11 per cent in women of reproductive age. Peritoneal aspiration cytology is a useful diagnostic test in the management of patients with suspected acute appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗

Direct aspiration using rapid-exchange and low-profile device for acute thrombo-embolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery.

Acute thrombo-embolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is potentially fatal vascular emergency that requires rapid restoration of mesenteric blood flow as well as early diagnosis. Selective thrombolysis has been employed for this life-threatening event. Although failed thrombolysis is a well known phenomenon, which is directly connected with bowel necrosis, emergent laparotomy, and patient death, little progress has been made in its treatment strategy. Recently, direct aspiration using rapid-exchange and low-profile aspiration device has been reported as a simple, safe, and effective strategy to thrombus in coronary artery. We describe the utility of direct aspiration using this sort of aspiration device for failed thrombolysis of SMA thrombo-embolism.

Angiography↗

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in 179 cases: the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center experience.

BACKGROUND: Recently, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has emerged as a diagnostic adjunct for small pancreatic lesions and abdominal and mediastinal lymph node diseases. DESIGN: During a 21-month period, we performed 179 EUS-FNAs in 166 consecutive patients; these data are the subject of this study. An average of 2.6 needle passes were obtained and aspiration was performed most commonly in the pancreas (162 cases, 91%). The FNA smears were reviewed using six diagnostic categories (negative for malignancy/nondiagnostic [NND], atypia, suspicious for malignancy, benign tumor/cyst, neuroendocrine neoplasm [NEN], and carcinoma). The review diagnosis was correlated with the histologic diagnosis made on resection or surgical biopsy specimens in 70 cases. Up to 17 months of clinical follow-up were sought for the cases with a negative or inconclusive FNA diagnosis and no diagnostic tissue confirmation (81 cases). RESULTS: The review FNA diagnoses were as follows: NND (49 cases), atypia (17 cases), suspicious for malignancy (12 cases), benign tumor/cyst excluding NEN (10 cases), NEN (6 cases), carcinoma (85 cases). Follow-up methods included resection (49 cases), surgical biopsy (21 cases), repeat FNA or brushing cytology (28 cases), and clinical follow-up only (81 cases). Of the 49 NND cases, 23 (47%) had positive follow-up results (i.e., false-negative diagnosis) that were confirmed by tissue diagnosis (resection/surgical biopsy in 11 cases [48%] and repeat FNA/brushing in 12 cases [52%]). These included pancreatic/ampullary adenocarcinoma in 20 cases, esophageal squamous carcinoma in 1 case, and NEN in 2 cases. Follow-up also revealed carcinoma in all 12 suspicious cases and 13 pancreatic adenocarcinomas and 1 microcystic adenoma in 14 of the 17 atypical cases. Overall, repeat computed tomography (CT)-guided FNA samples yielded a definite diagnosis in four atypical and seven NND cases, whereas EUS-FNA results provided a definite diagnosis in three cases in which CT-guided FNA failed and in two cases in which ampullary biopsy failed. No false-positive cases were identified. The false-negative rate due to inadequate sampling was 13.2%. Sensitivity (including cases with inadequate cellularity and nondiagnostic aspirates) was 81.7% and specificity was 100%. None of the factors evaluated (lesion characteristics, aspiration site, and tumor type) significantly influenced diagnostic results. CONCLUSION: EUS-FNA is a valuable diagnostic and staging tool with high specificity and sensitivity. Negative or nondiagnostic cases on EUS-FNA require further diagnostic work for a definitive diagnosis when clinical or radiographic findings do not correlate with the FNA results.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Cytologic findings of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: analysis of 16 fine-needle aspirates over 9-year period.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma often represents an important diagnostic pitfall in fine-needle aspiration biopsy due to the heterogeneous cell population present. A classic example of this group is angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILD-T). The fine-needle aspiration cytology of this relatively well-defined histologic subtype of T-cell lymphoma is rarely described in the literature. METHODS: The authors reviewed 16 fine-needle aspirates of AILD-T from 9 patients in Queen Mary Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, over a 9-year period from early 1993 to mid-2001. The morphologic features seen in cytology smears and/or cell block sections were correlated with histologic and immunohistochemical findings of excisional biopsy specimens. RESULTS: The smears and cytospin preparations showed a heterogeneous population of hematolymphoid cells, including small lymphocytes; nondescript, medium-sized lymphoid cells; immunoblasts; plasma cells; eosinophils; and reticulum cells, including follicular dendritic cells. In general, tingible body macrophages were not identified. Conversely, follicular dendritic cells were discernible easily in most cases and sometimes were admixed intimately with lymphoid cells, forming dendritic cell-lymphocyte complexes. There also were large lymphoid tissue fragments containing a scaffold of arborizing small vessels. Pleomorphic cells with high mitotic activity or lymphoid cells with clear cytoplasm were not identified. The cell block sections often showed an intimate admixture of small lymphocytes, plasma cells, eosinophils, and reticulum cells amid a background of reticulin fibers. Lymphoid follicles with well-developed germinal centers were never found. The features seen in cytologic preparations were reminiscent of those seen in histologic sections of the corresponding lymph node excisional biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: though ancillary investigative methods, including flow cytometry and molecular study, are of limited value in fine-needle aspiration cytology assessment of AILD-T due to the heterogeneous cell population present, recognition of the peculiar combination of cytologic features, especially in the right clinical setting, should provide a clue about the diagnosis. A high index of suspicion is essential to avoid a false negative diagnosis of reactive lymphadenopathy.

Adult↗

Yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy in patients with suspected pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although atypical or suspicious cytology may support a clinical diagnosis of a malignancy, it is often not sufficient for the implementation of therapy in patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB) is a relatively new method for obtaining cytology samples, and one that may decrease the number of atypical/suspicious diagnoses. The goals of the current study were to prospectively evaluate the yield of EUS-FNAB in the diagnosis of patients presenting with solid pancreatic lesions and to evaluate the significance of atypical, suspicious, and false-negative aspirates. METHODS: All patients who presented with a solid pancreatic lesion and underwent EUS-FNAB over a 13-month period were included in the current study. One endoscopist performed all EUS-FNABs. On-site evaluation of specimen adequacy by a cytopathologist was available for each case. Follow-up included histologic correlation (n = 21) and clinical and/or imaging follow-up (n = 80), including 38 patients who died of the disease. RESULTS: EUS-FNABs were obtained from 101 patients (mean age, 62 +/- 11.8 years; age range, 34-89 years). The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Sixty-five percent of the lesions were located in the head of the pancreas, 12% were located in the uncinate, 17% were located in the body, and 6% were located in the tail. The mean size of the tumors was 3.3 cm (range, 1.3-7 cm). A median of 4 needle passes were performed (range, 1-11 needle passes). Sixty-two biopsies (61.4%) were interpreted as malignant on cytologic evaluation, 5 (5%) as suspicious for a malignancy, 6 (5.9%) as atypical/indeterminate, and 26 (25.7%) as benign processes. Of the 76 malignant lesions, 71 were adenocarcinomas, 3 were neuroendocrine tumors, 1 was a lymphoma, and 1 was a metastatic renal cell carcinoma. All except one of the suspicious/atypical aspirates were subsequently confirmed to be malignant. Agreement was complete for the atypical cases. Among the suspicious cases, 2 of the 5 were identified as carcinoma by one cytopathologist and as suspicious lesions by the other, yielding a 40% disagreement rate between the 2 cytopathologists. Therefore, for the 10 atypical or suspicious cases that later were confirmed to be malignant, the final diagnosis of malignant disease was not made due to scant cellularity that could be attributed to sampling error in 8 cases and to interpretative disagreement in 2 cases (20%). All four false-negative diagnoses were attributed to sampling error. Two percent of all biopsies were inadequate for interpretation. Of the 99 adequate specimens, 72 yielded true-positive results, 23 yielded true-negative results, and 4 yielded false-negative results. No false-positives were encountered. Therefore, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EUS-FNAB for solid pancreatic masses were 94.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.7-99.8%), 100%, 100%, and 85.2% (95% CI, 71.8-98.6%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNAB is a safe and highly accurate method for tissue diagnosis of patients with solid pancreatic lesions. Patients with suspicious and atypical EUS-FNAB aspirates deserve further clinical evaluation.

Adult↗

Human papillomavirus genome detection by in situ hybridization in fine-needle aspirates of metastatic lesions from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often present with metastatic disease. The diagnosis of metastatic lesions usually is determined by fine-needle aspiration. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is now being considered as a causative agent in a subset of HNSCC. The objectives of this study were, first; to search for the presence of HPV DNA by in situ hybridization (ISH) in metastatic lesions from HNSCC using alcohol-fixed, archival, cytopathologic material; second, to characterize the cytologic features of HPV-positive metastatic lesions of HNSCC; and, third, to determine whether there is a correlation between the presence of HPV DNA and the origin of metastatic lesions. METHODS: The authors performed chromogenic ISH analysis for HPV DNA on fine-needle aspiration materials from metastatic lesions from 26 patients with HNSCC. Along with the ISH analysis, a detailed cytologic review was performed, and cytopathologic features were recorded. The HPV DNA status in metastatic lesion was correlated with cytopathologic features and primary tumor location. RESULTS: The integration of HPV DNA was visualized microscopically on tumor cell nuclei in 15% of aspirates. The anatomic locations of the study samples were as follows: 16 lymph node aspirates (11 cervical lymph nodes and 5 lymph nodes at other sites other), 5 tracheostomy sites, and 5 miscellaneous sites located on the head and neck area. Cytologic review revealed 13 keratinized and 13 nonkeratinized metastatic tumors. HPV DNA was detected in four metastatic sites (three lymph nodes and one tracheostomy site). All HPV DNA-positive tumors were of the nonkeratinizing type (P < 0.05; Fisher exact test). The origins of HPV-positive tumors included two laryngeal sites, one nasopharyngeal site, and one oral cavity site. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings showed that archival cytology slides can be used for HPV DNA detection with ISH. The results also showed that HPV DNA-containing HNSCC has distinctively nonkeratinizing cytologic features. The authors concluded that HPV DNA not only is involved in the initiation of tumoral processes but also plays an important role in the development of metastatic disease.

Biopsy, Fine-Needle↗

Diagnosis of melanoma aspirates on ThinPrep: the University of Michigan experience.

The purpose of this study was to compare the cytologic features of melanoma fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) prepared by ThinPrep (TP) with those in conventional smears (CS) and to identify any diagnostic pitfalls. Fifty-one aspirates diagnosed as melanoma were obtained, 36 of which were prepared by both TP and CS. The preparations were evaluated for cellularity, cell aggregates, cellular appearance, melanin pigment, cytoplasmic, and nuclear features. Categorical data were analyzed by the chi-square test and continuous data by the Wilcoxin-signed rank test. Correlation was determined by Spearman's test for bivariate correlations (rho). Good correlation between the two methods was identified for the following features: cellularity, cell type, bi/multinucleated cells, cytoplasmic features, NC ratio, and presence of macronucleoli. TP exhibits coarser chromatin compared to CS (P = 0.005). Six of 36 CS contained large cellular groups; none of the TP contained them (P = 0.018). Twenty-five of 36 CS contained intranuclear inclusions as opposed to 12/36 TP (P < 0.001). The number of inclusions was significantly reduced on TP. The amount of intracellular melanin was the same with both techniques. Background melanin was markedly reduced on TP except when either trapped by fibrin or attached to cellular clusters (P = 0.006). Background blood was also markedly reduced on TP (P < 0.005). In summary, the cytological features of TP and CS for FNA evaluation of melanoma correlate well; however, one needs to be aware of the cytologic alterations introduced by TP. TP is a sufficient preparation method in the diagnosis of melanoma FNA aspirates when performed by clinicians. It is also a useful adjunct in bloody or low-cellular aspirates, where it tends to reduce the background blood and concentrate the cells.

Adult↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of lobular carcinoma in situ.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays a key role in the preoperative diagnosis of breast carcinoma but is less reliable in the diagnosis of in situ lesions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the cytological features of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), regarding which little data is available to date. Cytological features of FNAC of the breast from 21 patients with histology-proven LCIS were described and compared with surgical specimens. Aspirates from 8/21 cases had cell groups diagnostic for or compatible with LCIS. Aspirates from an additional two cases demonstrated hypercellular, dissociated, and more pleomorphic tumor cells, which were originally diagnosed as invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). The remaining 11 aspirates were diagnosed as benign or nondiagnostic. FNAC from the eight diagnostic specimens were characterized by loosely cohesive cell groups composed of uniform cells with occasional intracytoplasmic lumina, slightly irregular and eccentric nuclei. We conclude that the main difficulty in diagnosing LCIS by FNAC is sampling rather than recognition of the lesions. However, one should be aware of the cytological features of LCIS in order to reach a correct diagnosis. There are no reliable cytological criteria that help in differentiating pleomorphic and dissociated LCIS from ILC.

Adult↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of splenic hamartoma.

Bench-top fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) following splenectomy and nephrectomy from a 21-yr-old female of tuberous sclerosis with right renal angiomyolipoma and splenic hamartoma was performed for the correlation of the cytologic features with histologic findings and, along with the immunopathologic studies, for the establishment of a challenging preoperative diagnosis of splenic hamartoma. The postoperative bench-top aspirate of splenic hamartoma yielded small and large clusters of plump, spindly to polygonal cells in the blood-stained background with scattered small lymphocytes, comparable with the preoperative echo-guided FNAB. The histopathology and immunopatholgy of the splenic hamartoma from the bench-top aspirate cytoblock and splenectomy tissue were comparable, unveiling the red pulp tissue consisting of wider cord stromal tissue than its normal counterpart with sinus-like vascular channels lined by endothelial cells which were positive for CD8, CD34, factor VIII-related antigen, vimentin, as well as negative for muscle-specific actin, CD21, CD68, and cytokeratin, scattered dispersed CD3- and CD45RO-positive T-lymphocytes, and small clusters of CD20-positive B lymphocytes, with a dearth of fibrous trabeculae and organized white-pulp lymphoid tissue. A combination of cytologic features and immunopathologic results from the aspirate cytoblock along with the salient clinical information should enable an accurate preoperative diagnosis of splenic hamartoma.

Adult↗

Utility of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the classification of leprosy.

The role of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of benign skin lesions has been restricted primarily to the evaluation of bacteriologic and morphologic indices in leprosy. This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of FNAC in the diagnosis and classification of lepromatous lesions. Aspirates of 94 newly diagnosed cases of leprosy were studied, and the bacterial load was determined by modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain. A skin biopsy was taken from the same site at the same sitting. Frozen and paraffin sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and ZN stains were examined from the biopsy specimen. In 61 of 94 cases (64.9%), the aspirates were satisfactory. Both diagnosis and classification of leprosy were possible in 40 of these 61 cases; the rest of the aspirates showed nonspecific chronic inflammation. The 39 cases of leprosy where a biopsy was available from the same site were classified on FNAC into tuberculoid (TT and BT), lepromatous (LL and BL), and midborderline (BB) subtypes. Taking the histologic diagnosis and Ridley-Jopling classification to be the gold standard, a strong concordance in tuberculoid leprosy cases (18 of 20 cases, 90%) and in lepromatous cases (15 of 16 cases, 93.7%) was observed. Midborderline cases of leprosy posed a problem, and a correct cytohistological correlation was observed in only one of the three cases.

Adolescent↗

Improved detection of amyloid in fat pad aspiration: an evaluation of Congo red stain by fluorescent microscopy.

Amyloid fat pad aspiration specimens for cases with a clinical suspicion of amyloid typically are stained with Congo red and examined by brightfield microscopy. Congophilia with apple-green birefringence by polarization microscopy (PM) is considered diagnostic for amyloid. Examination of Congo red-stained slides by fluorescent microscopy (FM) is considered by some to be a more sensitive detection method. In this study, we assessed the utility of this technique in cytopathology archival slides from abdominal fat pad aspirations previously stained with Congo red dye. Seventy-eight cases of abdominal fat pad aspirations collected during the last 5 yr and stained with the Congo red procedure were obtained from archival files. Additionally, 20 adipose tissue material slides prepared from the surgical pathology specimens were examined as controls. One representative smear was examined in each case using FM equipped with rhodamine excitation/absorption (540/570 nm) filters. Relevant clinical information was obtained in all cases. Twelve cases (15.4%) of the 78 fat pad aspiration cases were reported originally as positive by Congo red stain using polarization and apple-green birefringence as diagnostic criteria. On review, four cases were deemed unsatisfactory. By FM examination 29 of the 74 (39.2%) cases were reclassified as positive for amyloid. The results were confirmed by immunohistochemical stain for amyloid P protein and electron microscopy. A number of similar distinct fluorescence and immunohistochemical patterns were recognized in the positive cases. Minimally weak fluorescence in the adipose tissue was observed in the control cases. The use of FM in Congo red-stained fat pad smears can improve the detection of amyloid in cytology preparations.

Adipose Tissue↗

Aspiration biopsy of nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia of the breast: clinicopathologic correlates in 10 cases.

Nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast is rare and often indistinguishable from fibroadenoma, clinically and on aspiration biopsy smears. We report our observations in 10 patients with PASH, evaluated by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and core biopsy. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, radiographic, cytologic, and histologic findings in 10 cases of pure nodular PASH. Ten patients with a presumed clinical and radiologic diagnosis of fibroadenoma underwent aspiration biopsy. The aspiration smears were diagnosed as fibroadenoma (4 cases), cellular fibroadenoma (1 case), schwannoma versus neurofibroma (1 case), fibrocystic change (3 cases; 2 with atypia), and "not specific for a lesion" (1 case). A diagnosis of PASH was not suspected in any case. A discrepant or imprecise cytologic diagnosis and/or the presence of dissociated spindle or epithelial cells, or cellular stromal fragments prompted a surgical excision in 7 of 10 patients (70%). The remaining 3 patients exhibited cytologic features of fibroadenoma and were diagnosed as such; however, surgical excision was recommended. Three patients underwent a subsequent core biopsy, with a diagnosis of PASH being made in 1 patient. FNA biopsy could not discriminate PASH from fibroadenoma in 4 of 10 patients (40%) or suggest a diagnosis of PASH in any case. On retrospective review, the finding of plump, spindle-shaped mesenchymal cells may be a cytologic clue to suggest a diagnosis of PASH.

Adult↗