A total of 362 bile samples from 104 patients with evidence of biliary tract obstruction were submitted for diagnostic cytology from January, 1989 to April, 1991. The patients were classified based on the obstructive cause, and the cytologic results were reviewed. 298 of the specimens were from patients with intrabiliary malignant structure, and 17 were from patients with extrabiliary malignant compression or benign biliary obstruction. Bile cytology was positive for carcinoma in 42 samples from patients with intrabiliary malignant stricture, and the diagnostic sensitivity was 14%. There were no false positive cases. We concluded that the cause of low sensitivity was degenerative change of cell due to prolonged sampling time. What is noteworthy was the high prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis eggs, being detected in 25 patients with intrabiliary malignancy, supporting the association between clonorchiasis and biliary tree malignancy.

Metastatic tumors occur more frequently in the liver than in any other organ. Guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the liver is often recommended for confirmative diagnosis of the metastatic lesion, because of its simplicity, high yield, and reasonable safety. The authors studied retrospectively cytologic findings of 110 cases of metastatic tumors to the liver. The frequent primary sites were the stomach (23 cases), pancreas(19 cases), gallbladder(12 cases), and periampullary lesions(6 cases). Most of the metastases were carcinoma (106 cases). There were only 4 cases of sarcoma. The characteristic cytologic findings of FNA of meatastatic tumors were dirty background, abrupt change between hepatocytes and malignant cells, and desmoplasia. Some tumors displayed rather distinctive cytologic appearance that suggests primary sites. For example, the colonic adenocarcinoma showed tall columnar cells with a palisading arrangement, adenocarcinoma of gallbaldder showed focal squamous differentiation in some cases, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma and neuroblastoma showed also distinctive cytologic findings. Because the cytologic features of metastatic tumor are very similar to those of primary tumor, correct cytologic typing may be helpful in pursuit of an occult primary site of metastatic liver lesions, reducing extensive diagnostic investigation in poor prognostic patients.

Liver is generally known as an organ which is most commonly involved by the metastic tumors. According to the tendency of using fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of hepatic tumors, the differentital diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma frequently has been a main issue in the poorly differentitated cases, especially to the pathologists of Korea, an endemic area of hepatocellular carcinoma. Until now the problem has been usually solved by the comparison of cytologic characteristics of their tumor cells but not by background cytologic features which rarely have been studied. We observed the background cytologic features helpful for the differential diagnosis through the analysis of 20 cases who had confirmed primary cancer and were diagnosed as metastatic carcinomas in the liver by fine needle aspiration cytology. Twenty cases included 9 adenocarcinomas, 7 spuamous cell carcinomas, 1 small cell carcinoma, 1 carcinoid, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 1 renal cell cacinoma. Analysis of background cytologic features revealed that 77% of adenocacinoma cases showed benign mesenchymal components and hepatocytes and spuamous cell carcinoma cases disclosed benign mesenchymal tissue (71%) and necrosis (57%), Remaining cases showed variable combinations of benign mesenchymal component, necrosis, hepatocytes, and bile duct epithelial cells. No case revealed atypical hepatocytic naked nuclei, a useful cytologic finding of hepatocellular carcinoma. In summary, the background cytologic features more commonly observed in metastatic carcinomas than in the hepatocellular carcinoma were benign mesenchymal components, hepatocytes, necrosis, and bile duct epithelium. The endothelial cells and hepatocytic naked nuclei, two relatively specific findings of hepatocellular carcinoma were not observed except for renal ceil carcinoma. Above background cytologic features are thought to be helpful for the differential diagnosis between the hepatocellular carcinoma and various metastatic carcinomas in the poorly differentiated cases.

We present the cytologic features of small ceil neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver metastasized from the uterine cervix. Cytologically, tumor cells were arranged in a pattern of solid sheet in necrotic background. The tumor cells were characterized by uniform, small cells, round hyperchromatic nuclei, and high nuclear cytoplasmic ratio. The smears showed frequent mitotic figures and rosette formation. These findings were identified with the previous histologic sections of uterine cervix. To make a diagnosis of metastatic small ceil neuroendocrine carcinoma on the Papanicolaou smear, a high index of suspicion and careful review of clinical history are needed.

We report a case of hepatoma with duodenal metastasis in a 53 year-old male patient. Hepatoma was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology technique, and duodenal metastasis by gastrofiberscopic biopsy. Duodenal metastasis of hepatoma is rare. We briefly review the role of fine needle aspiration cytology technique in diagnosis of hepatoma.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNA) is an important diagnostic tool in the management of thyroid nodule. Especially, papillary carcinoma of the thyroid has distinct morphologic features that allow a definite cytologic diagnosis with high degree of accuracy. We examined the characteristic cytologic features of 57 cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, and their frequency and diagnostic significance were evaluated. The results obtained are summerized as follows; 1. In pattern of cellular arrangement, papillary structure with or without stroma is predominant feature (96%). 2. In individual cell morphology, grooved nuclei (95%), intranuclear cytoplasmic invagination (89%) and nuclear lobulation (74%) are most frequent and important cytologic findings. 3. Chromatin pattern is usually fine. Coarse chromatin is infrequent finding (37%). Nucleoli are inconspicuous. Cytoplasm us plump and distinctly eosinophilic. 4. Psammoma bodies are identified only in 4 cases (7%), but they are considered as helpful diagnostic features. 5. There are other associated findings including multinucleated giant cells (51%), macrophages (37%) and cystic degeneration (16%).

A 33-year-old woman who was diagnosed as medullary carcinoma by fine needle aspiration of thyroid mass is presented. The smear revealed dispersed pattern and small clusters of cells without follicular or papillary structures. The nuclei were round, oval or spindle shaped and eccentrically located. The cytoplasm was abundant and showed red-stained cytoplasmic granulation and tail-like projection with indistinct border. Clumps of amorphous, light-green material were intermingled with tumor cells.

Mixed squamous cell carcinoma and papillary carcinoma in the thyroid gland is a very rare malignant tumor characterized by rapidly progressive clinical course and radioresistance. A 63-year-old woman had mixed squamous cell carcinoma and papillary carcinoma in the thyroid gland diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA), and the diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination. She had complained of a fixed, egg-sized mass of the anterior neck with hoarseness for 1 year. The findings of FNA consisted of sheets and clusters of polygonal epithelial cells with hyperchromatic, pleomorphic nuclei and eosinophilic, abundant, laminated cytoplasm. These findings were consistent with squamous cell carcinoma. Also, fool of papillary carcinoma were noted, and the cells exhibited nuclear groovings and intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions. Total thyroidectomy specimen showed a diffusely infiltrating tumor in the left thyroid which was composed of mixed papillary carcinoma and well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. In junction between two components, squamous metaplasia of papillary carcinoma was noted.

Localized or solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pleura has been classified as a type of mesothelioma, arising from the submesothelial connective tissue cells. The preoperative diagnosis of the tumor at the cytologic or histologic level is very important for the proper handling of the lesion. This preoperative diagnosis is now possible by means of the advance in the transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) techniques and in the very experience of the cytopathologists. We describe FNA cytologic feature of two cases of SFT arising from the pleura. Cytologic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic characteristics of pleural SFT are discussed. The tumor cells of SFT are spindle or oval in shape with a variable amount of cytoplasm. They are arranged in irregular trabeculae intimately associated with capillaries. A unique cytologic feature observed in this tumor is that thick, eosinophilic, amorphous collagen bundles are scattered between tumor cells.

Diagnosis of a thymic carcinoid was made on transthoracic fine needle aspiration in a 36-year old woman who had an anterior mediastinal mass on chest X-ray and CT scan. The aspiration smears showed numerous anastomosing ribbons and cords of small round tumor cells. The tumor cells had slightly eccentric nuclei and some granular cytoplasm. The small and uniform nuclei of the tumor cells had finely granular chromatin and thin nuclear membrane. The cytologic diagnosis of a carcinoid was confirmed on histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and electromicroscopic examination of surgical specimen.

A mediastinal mass was aspirated by fluoroscope-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in a 47 years old female patient. The first aspiration smears were not diagnostic, because of hemorrhagic background and cell paucity. On the second aspiration, the smears were composed of some clusters of benign epithelial cells in hemorrhagic back-ground. Cells were arranged in mostly solid sheets and tended to form glandular lumina in part. Their nuclei were round and vesicular. Nucleoli were not prominent. These findings were suggestive of benign glandular tissue, which was finally confirmed as mediastinal thyroid gland by open thoracotomy specimen.

저자들은 세포학적 검사로 진단이 가능하였던 2예의 Langerhans 세포 조직구증의 세포학적 소견을 기술하였다. 한 예는 3개월된 남아의 구진성 피부병소로 부터 얻은 찰과 도말 표본에서, 다른 예는 3세된 남아의 종창된 경부림프절의 세침천자 세포학적 표본에서 각각 특징적인 조직구의 도말배경을 관찰함으로써 진단이 가능하였다. 진단적인 세포학적 표본의 검색에서 도말된 세포성분은 풍부하고, 도말배경은 깨끗하였다. 특징적인 조직구는 길죽한 핵의 한쪽이 약간 함몰되고, 긴 구열을 가지며, 핵막은 얇고, 염색질은 섬세하며, 핵소체는 인정되지 않았다. 호산성의 세포질은 풍부하고, 활동적인 탐식작용의 증거는 관찰되지 아니하였다. 특징적인 조직구와 더불어 림프구와 드물게 호산구가 도말배경을 이루고 있었다.

유방의 선양낭포암종은 매우 드물며 예후는 좋다. 유방에서 이 종양이 애초에 세포학적으로 진단된 예에 관한 세계 문헌상의 보고는 없다. 최근 저자들은 45세 여성의 좌측 유방 종괴로 부터 세침 홉인 검사를 시행하여 선양 낭포성 암종을 진단하였으며, Diff-Quik 염색시 종양세포 집락 내에서 분홍 및 적색으로 염색되는 구형의 물질이 확진에 도움을 주었다.

Pilomatricoma is a well defind and characteristic entity histologically, but this tumor may be encountered during aspiration biopsy of subcutaneous mass, and is, occasionally, confused with other neoplasms, particularly squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and epidermal inclusion cyst. Recently, we have experienced a case of pilomatricoma diagnosed by aspiration biosy. The smear of the aspirate revealed anucleated "ghost" squamous cells, basaloid or basophilic squamous cells and nucleated squamous cells, which lack nuclear features of malignacy. These findings are consistent with pilomatricoma.

Actinomycosis involving the female genital tract has increased since the advent of the intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUD) : the incidence of actinomyces in IUD users with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was reported to be between 17% and 30%. However a definte relationship between actinomyces and PID has not been demonstrated as yet. We present a case of pelvic actinomycotic infection that was initially diagnosed by means of fine needle aspiration. A 57-year-old female presented with urinary frequency and difficulty for 100 days. Computerized tomographic findings showed a mixed heterogenous soft tissue mass in the left superior aspect of urinary bladder. Fine needle aspiration was done under the impression of urinary bladder cancer. Microscopically, smears disclosed many sulfur granules in necrotic background with many neutrophils, histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells and granulation tissue. These findings were confirmed by surgical removal of the mass.