The significance of endometrial cells on cervicovaginal smears is underestimated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the detection rate of endometrial cells on cervicovaginal smears. The materials consisted of two groups. Group I was 701 cervicovaginal smears from patients with no gynecological problems. Group II was 208 cervicovaginal smears from patients with abnormal uterine bleeding followed by endometrial curettage; 31 cases of endometrial adenocarclnoma(CA), 19 cases of endometrial hyperplasia(HP), 83 cases of dysfunctional uterine bleeding(DUB), and 75 cases of normal endometrium. Cervicovaginal smears were reviewed according to the criteria of The Bethesda System. Endometrial cells were identified in 15 of 701 cases(2.1%) in group I and 64 of 208 cases(30.8%) in group II. Among group II, detection rate of endometrial cells was the highest in CA (51.6%) compared to HP(26.3%), DUB(41.0%), and normal endometrium(12.0%) (p<0.05). Cytologic atypia of endometrial cells was not found In group I, but was more frequently identified in CA(87.5%) than in HP(10.5%) or DUB(14.7%) (p<0.05). Exfollatlon of endometrial cells might be related to abnormal endometrial lesion, and reporting of endometrial cells in the cervicovaginal smear may increase a chance to detect endometrial lesions especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.

This study was designed to compare the performance of liquid-based preparation from the AutoCyte PREP with the conventional cervicovaginal smear in masked split-samples. In randomly selected 840 cases, the conventional smear was always prepared first, and the AutoCyte PREP used the resldual cells on the collecting device. Parallel AutoCyte PREP slides and matched conventional smears were screened in a blind fashion. All abnormals and 10% random normal cases were reviewed by two pathologists in a blind fashion. The Bethesda System was used for reporting the diagnosis and specimen adequacy. The diagnoses from the two methods were agreed exactly in 767(91.3%) of 840 cases. The AutoCyte PREP demonstrated a 25% overall improvement in the detection of squamous intraepithelial lesion(SIL). The ratio of ASCUS to SIL was decreased as 0.45 compared with 1.00 of conventional smear. The AutoCyte PREP produced excellent cellular preservation and superior sensitivity for detection of atypical cells as compared to the conventional smear. It makes us to be able to subclassify ASCUS into from WNL to HSIL. We thought that the AutoCyte PREP method might contribute to increase the detection rate of abnormal cells than conventional methods.

Cytologic and histopathologic features and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection associated with 101 cervicovaginal smears which are ciassified as 'atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, rule out high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(ASCUS, R/O HSIL)' were reviewed and compared to 89 smears of 'ASCUS, not otherwise specified(NOS)'. Cytologic fieatures of ASCUS, R/O HSIL included atypical single small cells(36.6%), hyperchromatic tissue flagments(35.6%), atypical metaplastic cells(18.8%), endometrial cell-like clusters(5.9%), and atypical parakeratotic cells(3.0%). A final diagnosis of HSIL on biopsy was assigned to 47(54.0%) of 87 women with ASCUS, R/O HSIL and to 13(14.6%) of 89 women with ASCUS, NOS (p=0.000). There was no difference in HPV DNA detection late between ASCUS, R/O HSIL and ASCUS, NOS smears. These data suggest that subclassification of ASCUS is helpful to manage patients because ASCUS, R/O HSIL is more often associated with an underlying HSIL on biopsy. Therefore, women with ASCUS, rule out HSIL should be actively managed with colposcopic examination.

Papillary immature metaplasia (PIM) of the uterine cervix (Immature condyloma) is a subset of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) which is frequently associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) types 6 and 11. The histologic features of PIM include filiform papillae lined by evenly spaced immature metaplastic-type cells with frequent nucleoli, mild anisokaryosis, and a low mitotic index. To characterize the cytologic changes associated with PIM, we analyzed 14 cases of PIM from our file. We reviewed biopsy slides and the cervicovaginal smears taken proximate to the time of blopsy. Histologically, nine cases had either flat condyloma (7 cases) or high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (2 cases). Cytologic changes included cells in various stages of maturation with karyomegaly (14 cases), cells with irregularities in the nuclear membrane (13 cases), intermediate cells with karyomegaly(13 cases), cells with binucleatlon (13 cases), and aborted koliocytes (11 cases) Cervicovaginal smears from all cases were interpreted as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), NOS or ASCUS, rule out squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) or LSIL in two cases with flat condyloma or HSIL in a case with severe dysplasia. PIM is a distinct histologic entity that can present with a spectrum of cytologic findings, but cytologic findings may resemble variable reactive conditions and immature HSIL. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose PIM by cytology alone. However, the meticulous efforts for making the cytologic diagnoses which can Induce active management of patients are recommended because PIM is a variant of LSIL and frequently has a flat condyloma or HSIL.

Malignant myoepithelioma (myoepithelial carcinoma), is a very rare malignant epithelial accounting for less than 1% of all salivary gland tumors and has an intermediate malignant potential. We report a case of malignant myoepithelioma arising in the left parotid giand in a 54-year-old man, which was difficult to differentiate from pleomorphic adenoma and other malignant salivary gland neoplasms. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the parotid gland showed cellular smear, composed of overlapped sheets and clusters or individually scattered tumor cells without any acinic or ductal structures. The tumor cells were rather uniform, with distinct cell borders and moderate amount of cytoplasm. The eccentrically located nuclei were oval to round and pleomorphic and showed prominent nucleoli. A few clear cells were noted in the cellular aggregates Metachromatic matrix was seen between individual tumor cells in a lacelike fashion, resembling pleomorphic adenoma. According to the immunohistochemical staining, we recognized that the component cells are myoeplthelial in nature, showing reactivity for the S-100 protein, vimentin, and actin.

We report two different types of thyroid lymphoma associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Both showed autoantibodies and were compatible with Hashimoto's thyroiditis according to their clinical backgrounds. A 76-year-old female noted a painless, rapidly growing mass in her neck which was diagnosed as diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, large cell type, after the fine needle aspiration cytology of the thyroid. She underwent chemo-radiotherapy and is free of the disease 10 months after diagnosis. The other patient, a 73-year-old female with a diffuse golfer, was diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology as having Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Three years later she developed a hard nodular growth in the both lobes of the thyroid. This was subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology and needle biopsy and was diagnosed as a MALT lymphoma. She refused any treatment and died 12 months after the diagnosis.

Localized amyloidosis of the ureter is rare and clinically confused with neoplasm. We describe a case of localized amyloidosis of the ureter in which the presence of amyloid was detected in ureteral washing cytology. A 75-year-old female presented with gross hematuria. Abdominal CT and retrograde pyelography revealed hydronephrosis and hydroureter on the left side with abrupt narrowing of the distal ureter. Ureteral washing cytology yielded a hypocellular smear with many irregular clumps of amorphous, extracellar, waxy material. Biopsy sections demonstrated submucosal deposits of eosinophilic amorphous material which gave characteristic apple green birefringence with Congo-red stain under the polarized light. Familarity with the cytologic features of amyloid is helpful for preoperative diagnosis and proper treatment.

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma(EMC) is a rare, low grade malignant tumor of the salivary glands. The EMC has a distinctive histological appearance comprising ductal structures with an inner epithelial cell component and an outer layer of myoepithelial cells which show plump clear cytoplasm. The cytologic features of the EMC have been rarely described. A correct cytological diagnosis to this rare tumor is difficult with high false negative rate. We report a case of EMC in which fine needle aspiration cytologic findings were misinterpreted as a pleomorphic adenoma.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an easy convenient non-invasive method in the diagnosis of superficial palpable masses. The cytologic findings by FNAC of reactive and neoplastic lesions in various organs including breast, lymph node, thyroid, salivary gland, etc., have been described, but, those of soft tissue lesions including proliferative fasciitis are relatively rare to find. We recently experienced a case of FNAC of proliferative fasciitis in the left back of a 72-year-old male. The FNAC smears were scant in cellularity and contained large cells with abundant basophilic cytoplasm, one to two nuclei lying at the periphery, and prominent nucleoli that resemble ganglion cells.