Gardnerella vaginalis has been often implicated as the commonest causative organism of bacterial vaginosis. We studied 88 cases of bacterial vaginosis to establish the role of G. Vaginalis in its causation and to study the role of clue cells in the diagnosis of G. Vaginalis infection. Various criteria like presence of characteristic vaginal discharge, pH > 4.5, positive amine test (PAT), gram’s stain for clue cells and culture were applied to these cases for detection of G. Vaginalis. On studying the value of different test against positive culture we found that the criteria of clue cells have good sensitivity (48.3%), high specificity (98.2%) and remarkably high predictive value (93.7%). The predictive value was quite low in case of characteristic discharge (42.0%), pH > 4.5 (59.3%) and PAT (58.3%). Detection of clue cells is an easy and quick method and together with any other one or two criteria it is reliable for detection of G. Vaginalis in cases of bacterial vaginosis as culture is negative in large number of cases.

The aim of the current work is to perform a comprehensive study of medistinal mass and assess the utility of fine needle aspiration in diagnosing various mediastinal lesions. The study was conducted on 56 patients presenting with a mediastinal mass on chest radiograph or on computed tomography scan. Males were predominantly affected, 48 cases (85.7%) and presented mainly in the 6^th decade. Majority of the lesions (30%) were located in the anterosuperior mediastinum. 12 cases (21.4%) were diagnosed as benign and 36 cases (64.3%) as malignant where carcinoma formed the single largest category, 28 cases. Metastatic disease represented the single largest category of lesions on FNA cytology of mediastinum (28 cases) with minimum number of cases 23 (82.0%) originating from a lung primary. A concordant cytohistopathological correlation was obtained in 19 out of the 20 cases studied. Sensitivity and specificity of FNAC of mediastinal masses was found out to be 97% and 700% respectively with 100% diagnostic accuracy of malignant lesions and 91.6% for benign lesions.

This study was aimed at determining the incidence of hepatic malignancy and evaluating the various morphological features that differentiate the metastatic adencarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Guided FNAC smears from 261 patients with USG evidence of focal/ diffuse hepatic lesions were examined for different cytomorphologic details. The commonest hepatic neoplasm was metastasis (63 out of 105 cases). On USG, metastsis (54 cases) commonly showed multiple nodules (>2 cm), while HCC appeared as solitary nodule in 23 out of 35 cases. With increasing size of the tumor, decreased cytological differentiation of HCC was observed. Cytology was able to correctly diagnose 103 out of 105 cases with an overall accuracy rate of 98%. The most significant cytological features to diagnose Aca were, acinar/ glandular/ papillary pattern of columnar to cuboidal cells with little cytoplasm with or without peripheral palisading and necrosis. While HCC was diagnosed by trabecular pattern of hepatocytic cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, atypical stripped nuclei and bile pigment.

A case of metastatic malignant epithelioid sarcoma occurring in a 25 years old female diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology and confirmed by histopathology and special stains is being reported.

A case of adenomatoid tumour of the epididymis in a 30 year old male is presented. Preoperative fine needle aspiration revealed a tumour with monotonous appearing cells having eccentric nucleus and abundant basophilic wispy cytoplasm. The case was reported as adenomatoid tumour and was confirmed on histopathology.

An eighty year old male presented with a left cervical lymph node enlargement. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the lymph node revealed metastatic deposits of an adenocarcinoma. The search for primary site was conducted and a primary lesion was detected in the prostate. Though uncommon, a prostatic adenocarcinoma may initially presents with symptoms of distal metastasis and rarely as non regional lymph node metastasis.

Malignant melanoma of nasal mucosa carries a dismal prognosis. Many nasal lesions are liable to be mistaken for melanoma and vice-versa. This paper addresses the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of nasal melanoma on cytology, with a view to separate melanoma from conditions more amenable to management and with a relatively better patient outcome.

Fine needle aspiration cytology is a highly reliable technique for the diagnosis of breast cancer. The cytological features of infiltrating ductal carcinoma are characteristic. We describe a unique case of carcinoma breast in a fifty-six year old female patient who presented with a breast lump. In addition to the classical cytological features of infiltrating ductal carcinoma, there were many benign ductal epithelial cells scattered throughout the smears. We conclude that the presence of benign ductal epithelial cells in the presence of features of frank malignancy need not deter the cytological diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

Extranodal malignant lymphoma of the head and neck represents about 3% of the malignant lymphomas and 2.5-5.0% ofsinonasal malignancies. We report a case of 55 years old female diagnosed as high grade Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of maxillary antrum on fine needle aspiration cytology. The diagnosis was later on confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry as high grade NHL, B-cell type. There was no lymphadenopathy.

Two females in their mid forties presented with a left upper cervical swelling. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of the mass was suggestive of carotid body tumour (CBT). FN A confirmed the diagnosis in one case in which it was suspected on clinically and radiological grounds. In the other case the diagnosis was suggested on FNA and subsequently confirmed on imaging and histology. The salient cytologic findings in the two cases were a bloody aspirate with poor to moderate cellularity. Round to oval cells were isolated and in syncitial clusters. The cell boundaries were indistinct and cytoplasm granular. Moderate anisonucleosis with scattered giant nuclei were seen. The FNA cytology smears were helpful in making a diagnosis of CBT in both the cases which was subsequently confirmed on histology of the resected tumours.

A rare case of an extragonadal endodermaI sinus tumour of the penis diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and confirmed on histopathology in a two year old male child is being presented. Extensive search has revealed only two such cases being described in the literature that too reported on histopathology. When the germ cell tumours occur in the gonad, fine needle aspiration is infrequently performed, since resection is usually indicated regardless of the underlying pathology. However FNAC may play an extremely useful role when germ cell tumours occur in extragonadal locations. The possible histogenesis of this tumour at such a rare site is also being discussed.

A report is made of a case of pulmonary mucormycosis in a setting of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Pulmonary mucormycosis is a potentially fatal condition requiring early diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis requires identification of the typical broad aseptate hyphae with right angled branching. They can be identified in cytology smears of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) making BAL an early and effective mode of diagnosis.