• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 1996

The principal significance of the urothelial changes caused by polyomavirus activation is in an erroneous diagnosis of urothelial cancer; however, the clue to their benign nature is the smooth structureless nuclear configuration and the relative paucity of affected cells. Though virologic studies and electron microscopy are usually needed to firmly establish the diagnosis, cytology is the most readily available and rapid means of establishing a presumptive diagnosis of human polyomavirus infection. A urine specimen of a 24-year-old man with hemorrhagic cystitis beginning two months after bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloblastic leukemia(M2) was submitted for cytologic evaluation. Cytologic findings revealed a few inclusion-bearing epithelial cells intermingled with erythrocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages. Most of the inclusion-bearing fells had large, round to ovoid nuclei almost completely filled with homogeneous dark, basophilic inclusion. The chromatin was clumped along the periphery and the cytoplasm was mostly degenerated. The other cells exhibited irregular inclusions attached to the nuclear membrane surrounded by an indistinct halo. These findings were consistent with polyomavirus infection.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 1997

Clinical lymphadenopathies are subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) for diagnosing not only benign lesions but also malignant ones, as the first diagnostic procedure. While the diagnostic reliability in metastatic carcinoma is high, it is difficult to differentiate malignant lymphoma from reactive conditions. We evaluated the diagnostic reliability of FNAC in lymphadenopathy, and discuss the diagnostic limitation and its place in clinical practice in this study, Over 8 years from January 1988, FNAC of 1,216 lymphadenopathies were analyzed and among them 170 cases were compared with histopathology. The results are as follows. 1. Of ail the cases, 890 cases(73.2%) were diagnosed cytologically as benign, 312 cases(25.7%) as malignant, and 14 cases(1.1%) as unsatisfactory material. Reactive hyperplasia was diagnosed in 585 cases(65.7%) of the benign lesions, and among the malignant diseases, metastatic carcinoma was diagnosed in 248 cases(79.5%), and malignant lymphoma in 62 cases(19.9%). 2. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 89.2%, and no false positive case and 9 false negative results were observed among 170 cases which were proven by histopathology. Six cases of sampling error of false negative diagnoses included 3 of metastatic carcinomas and 3 of malignant lymphomas. The causes were difference between aspiration and biopsy site, poor fixation, or scanty cellularity with bloody smear. All 3 cases of misinterpretation error were malignant lympliomas, one of mixed type on biopsy which was diagnosed as reactive hyperplasia cytologically. In summary, FNAC technique is thought to be useful in the initial diagnosis of lymphadenopathies as well as in the follow-up of patients with known malignancy. Although the results of malignant lymphoma was less accurate than other malignant lesions, the application of strict cytologic criteria or lymphoid marker studies of aspiration material will reduce the false negative rate.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 1997

The authors reviewed 167 malignant effusions from 110 patients, of which the primary site was established on the basis of either biopsy or surgical resection of the primary neoplasm. Main factors analysed were the distribution of primary organs and the cytohistoiogic correlation of body cavity effusions. The 167 fluid specimens from 110 patients consisted of 90 cases(53.9%) of pleural, 68(40.7%) of peritoneal, and 9(5.4%) of pericardial origins. Histologically they consisted of 82 cases(74.5%) of adenocarcinoma, 8(7.3%) of malignant lymphoma, 6(5.5%) of squamous ceil carcinoma, and 3(2.7%) of small cell carcinoma. The most common site among the primary lesions was the stomach in 25 cases(22.7%) followed by the lung in 21(19.1%), ovary on 17(15.5%), and breast in 7(6.4%). As for the distribution of primary tumors in adenocarcinoma, the most common site was lung un 16 cases (48.5%) in pleural fluid and stomach in 22(48.9%) in peritoneal fluid. In pericardial effusions, all 5 cases were from the lung. As a whole, the cytologic findings of malignant effusion were fairly representative of histologic characteristics of primary lesions. Thus, when the primary lesion Is unknown, careful evaluation of effusion cytology is presumed to be a helpful tooi for tracing the primary tumor.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 1997

Acinic cell carcinoma is a slow-growing solid neoplasm of salivary gland. Although their cytological and histological finding is bland-looking, their biological behavior is unpredictable. We experienced two cases of acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy and confirmed by tissue examination. They showed different clinical courses. We compared their cytologic and histologic findings. The first case was a right preauricular mass in a 58 year-old female of 3 years duration. The cytologic smear revealed sheets or small clusters of monotonous cells mimicking normal serous acinar cells with little cellular pleomorphism. She underwent superficial parotid lobectomy. The tumor was a well demarcated 1.5cm sized nodular mass without infiltration into surrounding parenchyme. The second case was a left submandibular mass in a 23 year-old male of 4 years duration. The smear showed more severe pleomorphism of the tumor cells than those of previous case. Excisional biopsy was done. The excised tumor was $5.5{\times}3.5{\times}3cm$ sized multilobulated solid mass with invasion into surrounding parenchyme. The tumor recurred after 20months, thus total excision of the mass and modified radical neck dissection was carried out. From the above findings, cytologic atypism, infiltrative growth pattern and type of initial therapy may be correlated with biologic behavior.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1997

The fine needle aspiration biopsy(FNAB) has become a popular method to diagnose mass lesions of the liver. Although many reports have listed FNAB criteria to be used to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), a diagnostic dilemma still exists at the extreme ends of the spectrum, particularly for well differentiated HCC. The authors reviewed a series of FNAB specimens of the liver to distinguish well differentiated HCC from nonneoplastic liver. Fifteen cytologic features were examined in this study: high cellularity, large sheet formation, trabecular pattern, acinar pattern, dispersed pattern, irregular arrangement, increased nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, naked nuclei, irregular chromatin, irregular nuclear contour, multinucleation, uniform macronucleoli, multiple nuclei, uniform small cytoplasm and monotony of atypia. These features were examined in a series of 76 FNAB specimens. Fifty two specimens were from patients with HCC and 24 specimens were from patients with nonneoplastic lesion or tumors other than HCC containg adequate amount of nonneoplastic hepatocytes in smear. All specimens were coded as to the presence or absence of the above cytologic features. With the use of step-wise logistic regression analysis, three features were identified as the key cytologic features predictive of HCC: irregular chromatin, monotony of atypia and absence of large sheet formation. When these criteria were used, the sensitivity diagnosing HCC by FNAB was 94.2%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value was 88.9%.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 1997

Reports on the cytologic or histopathologic findings of inflammatory pseudotumors are relatively infrequent and most of them have dealt with those involving the lung, liver, genitourinary tract, alimentary tract, spleen, mediastinum, retroperitoneum, etc. Moreover there have not been any cytologic studios of those involving lymph nodes. We present fine needle aspiration cytologic features of inflammatory pseudotumor occurring in a lymph node in a 64 year-old man. The aspirate consisted of proliferating spindle cells and admixed histiocytes, fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Histiocytes were present either singly or in loosely cohesive small clusters. A few multinucleated giant cells were present as well. However, tuberculosis could be excluded by the absence of typical granuloma, caseation necrosis, or characteristic mixed spindle and inflammatory cell components. Other benign and malignant lymphadenopathies could also be differentiated based on cytologic findings.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1997

Pneumocystis carinli is an established cause of pulmonary infections in immuno-compromised hosts. Several cytoiogical stains, such as Papanicolaou, Gomori methenamine sliver(GMS) and Diff-Quik have been used for detection of the organism, but occasionally can be laborious and, due to a degree of nonspecificity, may be misleading. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of immunocytochenmical stains that recognize P. carinii in bornchoalveolar lavage from experimentally Induced P. carinii pneumonia rats(n=15). In audition to routine stains for diagnosis by morphologic recognition of P. carinii on Papanicolaou, GMS and Diff-Quik stains, bronchoalveolar lavage samples were reacted with immunocytochemical stains using monoclonal antibodies(MAB) 092 and 902. In bronchoalveolar lavage P. carinii organisms were detected In 9 of 10 cases(90%) using each MAB 092 and 902, whereas GMS and Diff-Quik stains demonstrated P. carinii in 13(86%) and 11(73%) of 15 cases respectively. In lung tissue specimens(n=15) P. carinii organisms were well identified on GMS stain and immunohistochemical stains using MAB 092 and 902 in ail cases. We believe that the immunocytochemical staining using MAB 092 and/or 902 is a very useful and diagnostic tool In addition to GMS and Diff-Qulk stain to detect P. carinii organisms in bronchoalveolar lavage.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2001

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is not uncommon in Korea. Therefore, an inexpensive, safe and rapid method is needed to diagnose the tuberculous lymphadenitis. Flne needle aspiration cytology Is a good method for this purpose, but has several limitations in the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis, especially when the presence of acid-fast bacilli is not proved. To evaluation the usefulness of the polymerase chain reaction with enzyme immunoassay technique in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) In the cervical Iymph node asplrates, the authors performed fine needle aspiration cytology and M. tuberculosis PCR with enzyme immunoassay for mycobacterial DNA sequences from 15 cases of the fine needle aspirates. Cytomorphologically, the cases were categorized into three types: predominantly necrotic materials; typical epithelioid cell granulomas with or without slant cells and caseous necrosis; and non-tuberculous lesions, such as reactive lymphadenitis, abscess, metastatic carcinoma and malignant lymphoma. M. tuberculosis DNA was found in 8 of 15 cases by PCR with enzyme immunoassay. Negative findings on PCR were achieved in 7 cases, which revealed non-tuberculous tymphadenopathy. In conclusion, we suggest that M. tuberculosis PCR with enzyme immunoassay using the fine needle aspirates is a very useful tool for the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2004

The macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (MVPC) is characterized by macrofollicles occupying more than half of the tumor and demonstrating nuclear features of classic papillary carcinoma. It is difficult to recognize on fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology due to the paucity of aspirated neoplastic cell clusters, especially when the tumor is associated with extensive areas of hemorrhage. Case: A 34-year-old female presented with a well-demarcated nodule in the thyroid gland, diagnosed as a benign nodule on ultrasonography and computed tomography. FNA cytology smear revealed a few small aggregates of follicular cells with morphological features suspicious for papillary carcinoma, set in a background of hemorrhage, inflammatory cells, and hemosiderin-laden macrophages. Intraoperative frozen section revealed macrofollicular nests filled with hemorrhage and composed of follicular cells demonstrating nuclear clearing and grooves. Conclusion: MVPC is a rare but distinctive variant of papillary carcinoma, which is easily mistaken for adenomatous goiter or benign macrofollicular neoplasm on radiologic findings. The cytopathologist should alert oneself on encountering benign radiologic findings and any smear composed of scant numbers of follicular cells with nuclear features suspicious for papillary carcinoma despite the bland-looking background of hemorrhage and hemosiderin-laden macrophages, and recommend intraoperative frozen sections for a definite diagnosis.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2004

It is important to recognize the pathognomonic cytologic findings of chordoma, because of overlapping cytologic features between chordoma, chondrshdosarcoma, myxofilbrillary ependymoma, and metastatic adenocarcinoma. We reviewed the cytomorphologic features of 5 cases of chordoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology at Korean Cancer Center Hospital from 1987 to 2003. Clinical and radiographic findings of each case were reviewed. Four males and one female (29-54 years) had tumors involving the sacrum. Pain was the presenting symptom in 4 cases. The three cases showed moderate to high cellularity. In all cases, typical physaliferous cells with or without cytoplasmic processes were noted. In two cases, the background was myxoid with single scattered cells. Cell clusters showing cord-like arrangement were occasionally seen. The single or clustered cells showed mild cellular pleomorphism with slightly increased nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Mitotic figures were not seen. In our review, the recognition of physaliferous cells is the most important feature to diagnose chordoma and to differentiate it from other lesions mimicking chordoma.