Infectious meningitis with atypical cerebrospinal fluid cells

Cytologic evaluation of the CSF is often difficult when trying to distinguish between truly neoplastic and reactive cells. Several non-neoplastic conditions may be associated with atypical cells in the CSF, a fact the clinician has to consider to avoid inadequate aggressive theraphies. We report here three patients with infectious meningitis (due to Herpes zoster virus in two, and neuroborreliosis in one) and cytologically atypical cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytes. Further characterization showed that the pleocyrosis in these patients was of reactive origin. Cytomorphology is frequently insufficient and histochemical, immuncytochemical and cellular genome analysis techniques may help differentiate atypical reactive cells from neoplastic cells.     

Ovarian and omental ependymomas in peritoneal washings: cytologic and immunocytochemical features

The cytologic findings in peritoneal washings of two women, one of whom had an ovarian ependymoma and the other a primary omental ependymoma, are reported. The ependymomas were characterized by the presence of numerous, isolated, spindle and stellate cells as well as groups of cells forming true rosettes. The tumor cells displayed slightly pleomorphic, round-to-oval eccentric nuclei and abundant fibrillary cytoplasm with tapering cytoplasmic processes. In addition, one of the patients had numerous papillae and cell clusters with associated psammoma bodies indistinguishable from those found in low-grade serous carcinoma. The demonstration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in both cases by immunocytochemical procedures indicates the usefulness of this method in cytologic preparations to confirm the diagnosis of these uncommon neoplasms.     

The diagnostic value of image guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy in equivocal mediastinal masses

Background and aims The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of image guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy in equivocal mediastinal masses.Patients Sixty-six patients with an equivocal mediastinal mass who underwent FNA biopsy between 1993 and 2003 were eligible for final analysis. The cytological and definitive diagnosis of masses were grouped as primary 22 (33%)−30 (46%) and secondary (metastatic) neoplasms 18 (27%)−18 (27%) and nonneoplastic lesions 20 (30%)−18 (%27) respectively.Results The diagnostic accuracy (%95 C.I.) of FNA biopsy for primary mediastinal neoplasms, secondary neoplasms and nonneoplastic lesions were found to be 93.3 (83.8–98.2)%, 100 (95.1–100)%, 93.3 (83.8–98.2)%, respectively.Conclusion Image guided percutaneous FNA biopsy is a safe and highly accurate diagnostic method for equivocal mediastinal masses.     

尿核基蛋白22检测在膀胱癌诊断中的价值

目的:探讨尿核基蛋白22(NMP22)在膀胱移行细胞癌诊断中的临床价值。方法:采用ELISA法定量分析16例膀胱移行上皮癌(TCC)、14例TCC术后随访患者和12例泌尿系良性疾病患者的尿NMP22含量,并同时行尿脱落细胞学检查。设定NMP22的临界值为10U/ml。结果:16例膀胱移行癌患者、14例膀胱癌术后随访患者和12例泌尿系良性疾病患者的尿NMP22中位值分别为31.65、5.41和6.74U/ml,前者与后两者均有统计学差异(P<0.001)。以10U/ml为界值,尿NMP22诊断膀胱癌的敏感性为93.7%,特异性为69.2%,阴性预测值为94.7%,准确性为78.6%。同期尿细胞学的敏感性为31.3%,特异性100%,阴性预测值为70.2%。结论:与脱落细胞学比较,尿NMP22测定有更高的敏感性,是一种较理想的早期膀胱移行细胞癌诊断指标,对预后判断亦有价值。     

Potassium permanganate resistant amyloid in fine-needle aspirate of the liver

A case of primary amyloidosis, initially detected by fine-needle aspiration of the liver, is reported here. Amorphous acellular metachromatic material was seen extracellularly in between the hepatocytic cords compressing them. This material showed typical apple-green birefringence under crossed bipolars after alkaline Congo-red staining proved its amyloid nature. It was resistant to potassium permanganate pretreatment, indicating it to be of the AL type. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Diagnosing intramuscular myxoma by fine-needle aspiration: A multidisciplinary approach

The gross and microscopic appearances of aspirates from ten intramuscular myxomas are reported. The specimens were obtained from seven women and three men, ages 43 to 75, who had tumors involving the muscles of the thigh (7), upper arm (2), and forearm (1). Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed in six of the ten cases revealed well-defined, sharply demarcated tumors exhibiting low signal intensity relative to muscle on the T1-weighted images. The tumors were hyperintense to muscle on T2-weighted images. All aspirated tissues were clear, tenacious, and viscous. Smears contained few spindled and histiocytoid cells in an abundant mucoid background. Spindle cells demonstrated long cytoplasmic processes that in areas intertwined to form fibrillar tangles. Nuclei were oval to spindled with fine chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli. Capillaries were sparse with simple (nonplexiform) branching. The differential diagnosis of myxoid lesions of the extremities includes benign entities such as myxoid schwannoma and neurofibroma, mesenchymal repair, and ganglion cyst, as well as malignant neoplasms such as myxoid liposarcoma, fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and extraskeletal chondrosarcoma. The findings of this study revealed that, although the cytologic features were suggestive of intramuscular myxoma, a definitive diagnosis was often difficult, owing to scant cellularity and lack of distinctive cytologic features. The MR imaging findings may be utilized as an adjunct to the cytologic features to more confidently suggest a diagnosis of intramuscular myxoma. Diagn Cytopathol 1994;11:255–261. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

肺癌细胞学分型与病理组织学对比观察

为了提高肺癌细胞学分型的准确性,对142例痰液细胞学阳性的肺癌病例与其病理组织学进行对比观察。结果表明痰液细胞学与组织学分型总符合率80.70％。在涂片中发现,小细胞癌形态特征较强,分型符合率最高(92.5％),鳞癌与腺癌中分化高者分型特征明显,而分化低者分型特征不明显,故符合率较低(68.63％及85.71％),在检查中应仔细寻找特征性细胞,以免漏诊。     

The estimation of mean nuclear volume in the diagnosis of breast carcinoma.

Sixty-two cases of breast pathology were randomly selected from the files of the Dunedin Public Hospital for evaluation of mean epithelial nuclear volume. The cases were comprised of both benign and malignant ductal epithelial disease, diagnosed in cytological smears or in histological sections. Nuclear volume in histological preparations was estimated by the stereological technique of point-line intercept measurements to derive volume-weighted mean volumes (vV). An index of the nuclear volume (Vi) of cytology smears was calculated from measurements of nuclear areas by either image analysis Vi(e) or point-line intercepts Vi(p). By all methods of analysis a clear distinction of nuclear volume was found between the benign [means for the cytology were 148 microns 3 (Vi(e)) or 246 microns 3 (Vi(p)), and 203 microns 3 (Vv) for the histology specimens] and malignant diseased cases [means for cytology: 524 microns 3 (Vi(e)) or 886 microns 3 (Vi(p)), and 587 microns 3 (vV) for the histology specimens].