• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2000

This study presents the cytologic features of peritoneal washings, with particular emphasis on the cytologic discrimination among serous, mucinous, and endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary. We selected histologically confirmed 27 cases of peritoneal washing : 8 cases of serous cystadenocarcinomas, 5 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, and 14 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinomas. The most frequent cytologic pattern of three tumors was clusters. Ball pattern was found in serous cystadenocarcinoma(36%) and acinar pattern in endometrioid adenocarcinoma(36%). Mucinous adenocarcinoma showed mucoid background(100%) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma revealed inflammatory background(43%). The cytoplasmic vacuoles were noted in 80%, 13%, and 43% of mucinous, serous, and endometriold adenocarcinoma, respectively. The endometrioid adenocarcinoma showed prominent nucleoli(64%). In conclusion, the cytologic findings of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma were different from that of serous and endometrioid carcinomas, such as mucoid background, abundant cyytoplasm with vacuolated cytoplasm, and peripherally located cytoplasm. Although endometriold carcinoma showed acinar pattern and prominent nucleoli, the differential diagnosis between serous cystadenocarcinoma and endometrioid adenocarcinoma in peritoneal washing cytology was was always possible.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2001

Cytologic features of conventional chordoma have been described and most reports emphasize the presence of large cells with numerous well defined cytoplasmic vacuoles or physaliferous cells. We report fine needle aspiration cytologlc (FNAC) findings of a case of chordoma without physaliferous cells. The smear was cellular and composed of large cohesive clusters or individually scattered cells in mucinous background. The round or cuboidal cells had centrally located nuclei with fine granular chromatin, inconspicuous nucleoli, and occasional vacuolated cytoplasm. Mild to moderate pleomorphism was noted. Physaliferous cells are extremely helpful when present in cytologic material, but they are not necessary for diagnosis. Thus clinical history, roentgenographic appearance, and exact location of the lesion are required for the successful Interpretation of presacral aspirates together with cytologic findings.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 1992

Islet cell neoplasms (ICNs) of pancreas are uncommon, and the cytologic features of ICN are not well delineated. We report a case of islet cell tumor with lymph node metastasis, describing the cytologic, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings. A 40-year-old woman was admitted due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding of 2 days' duration. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a diffusely infiltrating bulky mass in the body and tail of the pancreas. The fine needle aspirate showed moderate to high cellularity, monotonous cell population, single ceil predominance over small cell clusters, and eccentrically located nuclei. Although the definite diagnosis of ICN on the cytologic basis is difficult, the cytomorphologic features are sufficiently distinctive to suggest the diagnosis.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.71-75
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• 1995

A fine needle aspiration biopsy specimen of a retroperitoneal mass in a 26-year-old man who had had an orchiectomy for seminoma was submitted for cytologic evaluation. Cytologic features of the specimen included uniform neoplastic cells found singly or in groups of several cells intermingled with lymphocytes in a characteristic foamy, lacelike background. These cells varied from 10 to 20 m in diameter. The nuclei were round to ovoid with fine or reticular chromatin and one or more prominent nucleoli. The poorly defined cytoplasm stained pale-blue or blue with cytoplasmic vacuoles. The cytologic appearance was consistent with seminoma. Documented reports of the cytological appearance of seminoma are rare. The diagnosis of primary gonadal seminoma by fine needle aspiration biopsy is probably not indicated since the treatment of a primary gonadal tumor, regardless of its histogenesis, requires surgical resection. However, fine needle aspiration biopsy is extremely valuable in the diagnosis of extragonadal as well as metastic and recurrent seminoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 1978

Two hundred and seventeen patients underwent diagnostic rigid bronchoscopy or bionchofiberscopy to evaluate the cytologic diagnosis in the lung cancer patient at the department of chest surgery of Yon-Sei university, college of the medicine from 1971 to 1977 year. One hundred and twenty cases of these patients were taken rigid bronchoscopy and ninety four cases of these patient were taken bronchofiberscopy. Cytologic examination of the sputum was done in 214 cases and sputum cytology was positive in 50 cases [23.4%]. Rigid bronchoscopy was made in 120 cases and this bronchoscopic cytology including bronchial washing and bronchial biopsy was positive in 34 cases [28.5%]. Bronchofiberscopy was performed in 94 cases and was positive in 45 cases [47.5%]. Histopathologically, 41 cases [43.6%] were epidermoid cell carcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of undifferentiated cell type, 12 cases [12.8%]of adenocarcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of alveolar cell type, and the 25 cases were undetermined. Cytologic examination of the sputum lacks the accuracy of the bronchoscopies in terms of both localization and accurate histologic indentification of the type of neoplasm. Rigid bronchoscope has the advantage of permitting identification of a tumor in a central location and of providing a sufficient amount of biopsy material for accurate diagnosis of carcinoma. However, it has the disadvantage of limiting examination to the larger, more central portions of the tracheobronchial tree. Bronchofiberscope had the advantage of examine upper lobe as well as other portions of the tracheobronchial tree which could not be visualized with the rigid bronchoscopy. A positive diagnosis in bronchofiberscopy was obtained in the highest rate, 47. 8% [45 cases]. A1 last, if a bronchogenic carcinoma is suspected on the basis of either symptoms of an abnormality on the chest film the diagnostic work-up-sputum cytology, bronchial washing, bronchoscopic biopsy, scalene node biopsy, thoracentesis and mediastinoscopy explothoracotomy etc-should precede in an attempt not only to obtain the higher positive diagnosis but also to obtain a tissue diagnosis and to evaluate the stage of the disease and to ascertain the appropriate mode of therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1999

To evaluate whether different qualifications of a cytologic diagnosis of "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance(ASCUS)" predict a greater or lesser likelihood of tissue diagnosis of uterine cervix, we compared different cytologic qualifications of ASCUS with the tissue diagnosis. One hundred twenty-two consecutive Papanicolaou smears showing ASCUS in women who had undergone cervical biopsy within nearest 30 days were collected. The 122 smears were qualified as "favor reactive"(25%), "favor low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL)"(24%), "favor squamous intraepithelial lesion(SIL)"(16%), "favor high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL)"(16%), and "not otherwise specified"(19%). Squamous intraepithelial or invasive lesion was pathologically confirmed by cervical biopsy in 13%, of the "favor reactive", 27% in "favor LSIL", 70% in "favor SIL", 75%, in "favor HSIL", and 35% in "not otherwise specified" smears. There were significant associations between the favor reactive smear and the benign biopsy finding and between the favor SIL smear and the biopsy shewing a squamous intraepithelial or more severe lesion. Nevertheless, most of favor LSIL smears exhibit reactive process in tissue biopsy. Conclusively, qualified ASCUS stratifies women Into different risk groups for SIL. The cytopathologist should make the cytologic diagnosis of "ASCUS, favor LSIL" circumspectly.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 1991

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.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 1994

Aspiration biopsy cytology is a convenient, easy and non-invasive method for diagnosis of tumors. The results and cytologic features of carcinoma in various organs have been reported frequently, however, those of soft tissue sarcoma are relatively rare to find. Here we describe fine needle aspiration cytologic features of various soft tissue sarcomas and discuss cytologic differential points. The material is 6 cases of soft tissue sarcoma that were confirmed by histologic examination. They are composed of 2 cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and one case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, synovial sarcoma, alveolar soft pan sarcoma, and malignant schwannoma respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.160-163
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• 2008

The cytologic diagnosis of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) has become one of the common causes of false negative diagnoses when performing fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid gland. We retrospectively reviewed all the aspirates for which a diagnosis of FVPTC had been made based on the surgically excised specimens, regardless of the cytologic diagnosis. 145 FNACs was performed in 135 patients. The cytologic diagnoses were categorized as 2 unsatisfactory specimens (1.4%), 16 benign (11.0%), 49 atypical (33.8%) and 78 malignant lesions (53.8%). The tumor cells consistently showed significant nuclear overlapping, irregular nuclei and fine chromatin in all cases; however, nuclear grooves and inclusions were scarce. Galectin-3 immunostaining was performed on the cell blocks of 65 cases and this was positive for 45 cases (69.2%). The results of our study demonstrate that the determination of minimal cytologic criteria is needed to raise the sensitivity of detecting FVPTC by FNAC, and galectin-3 immunostaining is useful to make decisions on the surgical treatment of cytologically atypical thyroid nodules.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2008

Although subacute granulomatous thyroiditis(SGT) is usually diagnosed clinically, papillary carcinoma or other thyroid conditions must be considered in the differential diagnosis. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and fine-needle aspiration(FNA) cytologic findings seen in 10 SGT cases to decide what are the most reliable cytologic findings and the most helpful molecular tools for reaching a confident cytologic diagnosis. The most representative smear slides were retrieved to perform immunocytochemistry for cytokeratin 19(CK19) and Ret protein. Five papillary carcinomas(PTCs) were included as controls. The constant and typical cytologic findings of SGT were multinucleated giant cells(MGCs) (100%), epithelioid granulomas(90%), an inflammatory dirty background(90%) and plump transformed follicular cells(80%) without fire-flare cells, oncocytic cells or transformed lymphocytes. The immunoreactivities for CK19(37.5%) and Ret(10%) of the follicular cells of SGT were less than those(CK19 and Ret:100%) of PTC. CK19 immunoreactivity of the MGCs was seen in only one case of PTC. There was no significant difference between CK19 and Ret immunocytochemical staining for the MGCs of both SGT and PTC. The results of this study demonstrate that the cytological diagnosis of SGT can be improved by employing a combination of the typical and constant diagnostic cytological features and immunocytochemical results.