Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the difference in the silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) scores on aspiration smears from benign and malignant breast tumors, and to determine the feasibility of AgNOR staining as part of the cytological investigation of breast tumors. Settings: AgNOR scores were evaluated on aspiration smears and tissue sections from 42 breast tumor cases. Materials and Methods: Smears from 27 breast tumor cases and tissue sections from 15 surgically resected specimens were examined. Counting was performed on a small number of tumor cells (50 cells). Both the mean (mAgNOR) score and the AgNOR proliferative index (pAgNOR index) were assessed for each specimen. Statistical Analysis: Statistical evaluation was carried out using the Students' 't'-test. The result was considered significant when P < 0.05. Results and Conclusions: The mAgNOR score and pAgNOR index were significantly higher in smears from malignant tumors than in those from benign tumors (P = 0.01). These results were similar to those obtained for tissue sections and were comparable to established data. The determination of AgNOR scores on cell smears in a limited cell population has practical advantages.

We describe here the case of a 42 year-old female with a benign, metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) of the abdominal wall diagnosed by fine needle aspiration. The patient had undergone myomectomy for uterine leiomyomas eight years ago. BMLs are composed of well-differentiated smooth muscle and are uncommon tumors that are more often seen in the lungs; soft tissues and skeletal muscle are rarely involved.

Schwannomas are the most common peripheral nerve sheath tumors, the frequent sites of involvement being the head and neck, the flexor aspect of the limbs, especially near the elbow, wrist, knee, and trunk. Involvement of the female genital tract is extremely rare. We present one such rare case of a solitary vulval schwannoma which was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology in a 48 year-old female, and confirmed by histopathological examination.

The term, "myeloid sarcoma" refers to an extramedullary collection of immature myeloid cells. Rarely may it precede peripheral blood or bone marrow involvement, presenting as a diagnostic challenge. We report here a case of myeloid sarcoma in a 45 year-old man, who presented with a painful right orbital swelling of one month's duration. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed and a diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma was offered. Subsequently, a complete blood count revealed 60% blasts in the peripheral blood and a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was confirmed on bone marrow examination. This case is being documented to emphasise the utility of FNAC in making the correct diagnosis of this entity in a case of unsuspected AML.

Actinomycosis is a chronic infection caused by Actinomyces israelii, usually seen in immunocompromised patients or in the background of tissue injury. Cervicofacial actinomycosis presenting as a fixed jaw swelling in an elderly individual can mimic malignancy and pose a diagnostic dilemma. We report here a case of cervicofacial actinomycosis diagnosed by fine needle aspiration, along with a review of the relevant literature. A 60 year-old man presented with a gradually increasing 6 × 5 cm swelling in the left side of his jaw. The swelling was fixed, without any apparent sinus or abscess. Fine needle aspiration was diagnostic as it revealed colonies of actinomyces surrounded by polymorphs and chronic inflammatory cells. The histopathological study of the excised specimen confirmed the cytological findings. Fine needle aspiration is an effective tool in the diagnosis of actinomycosis although its documentation is rare. Difficulties in the management can be avoided by early diagnosis using the fine needle aspiration technique.

Of the salivary gland tumors, mucoepidermoid carcinoma is probably the most difficult to diagnose accurately by aspiration cytology. It is the second most common tumor in the pediatric age group in parotid gland after pleomorphic adenoma and differentiating between both can be diagnostically challenging. We are hereby presenting a case of 13 year old female child with right parotid lesion. The combination of overlapping intermediate and mucus producing cells with abundant background and intracytoplasmic mucin helped us in making the diagnosis of intermediate mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Subsequently total parotidectomy revealed a low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Hence we concluded that abundant mucin with good cellularity can be seen in low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Grading of mucoepidermoid carcinoma is also important to determine the prognosis.