Electron microscopy of fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens: a brief review.

The cellular sample obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy is usually small and therefore requires extreme care during processing for electron microscopy. The most significant technical problem is due to contamination of the sample by red blood cells, which tend to dilute the samples. Red blood cells in these samples may be removed prior to processing by either using Bovine serum albumin as a gradient or by filtration of the specimen by a nylon sieve. Experience at our institution with the use of electron microscopy for interpretation of fine-needle aspiration biopsy samples is briefly reviewed.     

Cytologic diagnosis of cat scratch disease (CSD) by fine-needle aspiration

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is usually a benign, self-limited lymphadenitis, characterized by suppurative granulomas. It can, however, produce a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms and cytologic changes and be the source of diagnostic dilemmas. Identification of pleomorphic bacilli (PB) with silver impregnation stains aids in the diagnosis, but this has not been well documented in cytologic preparations or in cases without the classic morphologic changes. We reviewed 13 aspirations from eight patients (aged 13–36 yr) occurring over a 15 mo time period, all clinically or cytologically suspicious for CSD. Sites included: axilla (6), parotid (3), epitrochlear (1), neck (1), submental (1), and intraclavicular (1) nodes. Neoplasia was initially suspected clinically in 38% of the cases. All but two patients had cat exposure on subsequent interview. The cytologic differential included bacterial abscess and lymphoproliferative disorders in 31%. Neither granulomas nor suppurative inflammation were seen in all cases. Changes included: granulomas (77%), PMNs (62%), dispersed epithelioid histiocytes (46%), and suppurative granulomas (38%). A modified silver stain (Modified Steiner, Sigma Diagnostics, St. Louis, MO) was performed on all specimens. Silver positive organisms were seen in 69% of cases and were not limited to those preparations with suppurative granulomas. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is an effective method for diagnosing CSD despite its heterogeneous appearance; and, when combined with clinical information and silver staining, may obviate the need for excision. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Thyroid cancer in children: Report of three cases and a review of the Japanese literature

We experienced three cases of thyroid cancer in children less than 15 years of age between 1982 and 1995. We herein present these three cases with a review of 141 reported cases of childhood thyroid cancer in Japan. Our patients were 6, 13, and 14 years old. The patients, all girls, were diagnosed as having thyroid cancer based on diagnostic imaging. One of them was also diagnosed by a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). One of them underwent subtotal thyroidectomy, and the other two underwent lobectomy. Modified neck dissections were performed on all three. Pathologically, the tumors were all papillary carcinomas. Multiple lymph node metastases were present in all patients. However, the postoperative courses have been good, and there have been no signs of recurrence, 10, 8, and 2 years after their respective operations. In 144 reported cases of childhood thyroid cancer in Japan including ours, the youngest patient was a 2-year-old boy, and the female to male ratio was 2.1:1. FNAB was performed in 25 cases, and 23 (92%) of the tumors were diagnosed as malignant. Histologically, 76% were papillary carcinoma and 20% follicular carcinoma. At operation, lymph node metastases were found in 80% of the cases and lung metastases in 17%. For treatment, 88% of the patients received a more extensive operation than a lobectomy. Of the 144 patients, 8 died.     

Thyroid Nodules and Shear Wave Elastography: A New Tool in Thyroid Cancer Detection

This study determines the performance of virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ), a non-invasive shear wave elastography method for measuring thyroid nodule (TN) stiffness, in distinguishing benign from malignant TNs. This prospective study evaluates 707 TNs in 676 patients with fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Before FNAB, both conventional B-mode ultrasound and shear wave elastography were performed. Surgical resection was recommended for FNAB results that were not clearly benign. Surgical pathology confirmed 82 malignant TNs. The receiver operating curve identified a single cut-off of 3.54 m/s as the maximum shear wave velocity (SWV) for predicting thyroid cancer (TC). The sensitivity and specificity were 79.27% and 71.52%, respectively. Positive predictive value (PPV) was 26.75% and negative predictive value (NPV) was 96.34%. Compared with B-mode US features for predicting malignancy, SWV ≥3.54 m/s has a higher sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV. TN stiffness measured by VTIQ-generated shear wave elastography is an independent predictor of TC.     

Selective intra-graft apoptosis and down-regulation of lymphocyte bcl-2, iNOs and CD95L expression in kidney–pancreas transplanted patients after anti-Thymoglobulin induction

Intra-graft infiltrating cells apoptosis was evaluated in 20 consecutive kidney–pancreas transplanted (KP) patients without kidney rejection. Two fine-needle aspirated biopsy (FNAB) and two peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) samples were obtained 14 days after transplantation. Immunosuppression was based on anti-Thymoglobulins (ATG) induction for 7 days and cyclosporine/mofetil mycophenolate as maintenance therapy. Ten matched healthy subjects were chosen as controls for PBL. Lymphocyte phenotypes and activation markers, apoptotic rate and lymphocyte expression of pro/anti-apoptotic molecules were analysed by flow cytometry analysis (FACS). Lymphocyte phenotypes and activation markers: higher levels of CD8 and CD4DR were evident in the graft (p<0.05) than in PBL, CD3CD25 in PBL were higher in transplanted patients than in controls. Apoptotic rate and lymphocyte expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules: a higher expression of annexin V, together with reduced lymphocytes CD95L, iNOs and Bcl-2 expression (PBL=97.7±1.1% vs FNAB=81.9±15.1%; p<0.05) were evident in the graft than in PBL. In KP patients intra-graft apoptosis and reduced anti-apoptotic molecules were evident after ATG induction.     

Characterisation of breast fine-needle aspiration biopsies by centrosome aberrations and genomic instability

Recent studies have suggested that aneuploidy in malignant tumours could be a consequence of centrosome aberrations. Using immunofluorescence analysis with an antibody against gamma-tubulin and DNA image cytometry, we measured centrosome aberrations and DNA ploidy patterns in fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) of 58 breast lesions. Benign lesions did not show any centrosome aberrations. DNA diploid carcinomas showed a mean percentage of cells with centrosomal defects of 2.1%. The aneuploid invasive carcinomas could be divided into two subgroups by their significantly (P=0.0003) different percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations (2.0 and 10.3%, respectively) and their significantly (P=0.0003) different percentage of cells with nonmodal DNA content values determined by the Stemline Scatter Index (SSI), a measure of genomic instability. The percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations demonstrated a positive, linear correlation with the corresponding SSI (r=0.82, P<0.0001) and loss of tissue differentiation (r=0.78, P<0.0001). Our results indicate the percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations as being sufficient to divide the investigated tumours into three significantly different groups: benign lesions with no centrosomal aberrations, and two malignant tumour types with mean values of 2.1 and 9.6% of centrosomal defects, respectively. Together, these results demonstrate that centrosome aberrations correlate with genomic instability and loss of tissue differentiation. Furthermore, this study shows the feasibility of centrosomal analysis in FNAB of the breast and suggests centrosomal aberrations as possessing diagnostic and prognostic value.     

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pediatric neoplasms: correlation between electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry in diagnosis and classification.

A series of fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed in 635 children were reviewed. The diagnoses rendered in these patients included malignant lymphoma in 139 (21.9%); Hodgkin's disease, 25 (3.9%); neuroblastoma, 58 (9.1%); Wilms' Tumor, 37 (5.8%); Ewing's sarcoma, 32 (5.0%); rhabdomyosarcoma, 25 (3.9%); retinoblastoma, 22 (3.5%); leukemia infiltrate, 33 (5.2%); and miscellaneous tumors, 52 (8.2%). In 171 patients (26.9%), the biopsy was nondiagnostic. The cytomorphological characteristics of these lesions are briefly described and illustrated. Salient morphological features are further correlated with histological and ultrastructural appearances. Immunocytochemical patterns of these tumors are also discussed briefly.     

Aspiration biopsy cytology of papillary carcinoma of the breast.

The fine-needle aspirates of two cases of noninfiltrating papillary carcinoma (PC) and three examples of early invasive PC of the breast were examined. In three cases in which the tumors displayed cuboidal or polygonal cells the aspirates showed papilla-like clusters of tumor cells with relatively "strong" cellular cohesiveness. Single and small aggregates of tumor cells as well as hemosiderin-laden or foamy macrophages were also present. Aspirates from the two PCs predominantly consisting of tall columnar epithelial cells revealed only monolayered and multilayered epithelial fragments with folding in one case. In the other case large epithelial fragments and small tight clusters of polygonal tumor cells were present. No bipolar nuclei of myoepithelial cells were identified in all cases. No specific cellular features permitting the differentiation between noninfiltrating and early invasive breast PCs were identified in this small series. Staining for carcinoembryonic antigen using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique was performed on aspiration smears of three cases. It revealed a positive cytoplasmic reaction in two cases.     

Well-differentiated liposarcoma of the paratesticular area: report of a case with fine-needle aspiration preoperative diagnosis and review of the literature

This article presents a rare case of well-differentiated liposarcoma of the paratesticular area (spermatic cord) with a preoperative cytological diagnosis. A 0.6-mm fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of a paratesticular lump showed many spindle and polygonal atypical cells with numerous cytoplasmic vacuoles. On the basis of a diagnosis of "malignant mesenchymal neoplasia consistent with liposarcoma," the patient underwent radical orchiectomy. A 8 x 7 x 8.5 cm, whitish mass was found, which was histologically classified as a "well-differentiated liposarcoma" (with lipoma-like, sclerosing, and myxoid areas), according to the classification of Enzinger and Weiss. A review of the literature is presented.