Background: The cytological diagnosis of poorly differentiated tumors is challenging because the tumor cells may have morphologically difficult presentations in materials obtained by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). With the application of FNAC in primary diagnosis of malignant lesions, there has been a significant increase in the use of ancillary studies in the aspirated material. Aims: We evaluated the value of ancillary studies, namely cell blocks, immunocytochemistry (ICC) and electron microscopy (EM), in the final interpretation of FNAC smears. Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine cases of neoplastic swellings were subjected to FNAC. Material acquired was divided for ICC, consisting of immunoperoxidase staining of direct smears, and/or cellblocks and EM, in addition to routine light microscopy (LM). Correlation with the available histological material with immunohistochemistry and/or pertinent clinical information was used as a "gold" standard. Results: Five (7.2%) cases were excluded from the study, the material being necrotic or insufficient. Cell blocks were available in 46/64 (71.8%) cases, ICC evaluation was performed in 41/64 cases (64%) and EM studies were done in 57/64 cases (89%). Diagnostic accuracy of LM alone was 32/64 (50%). Cell blocks improved the diagnoses in 8/46 (17%) cases. The ICC data were diagnostic in 18/41 (43.9%) cases, helpful in 8/41 (19.6%) cases and non-helpful in 15/41 (36.5%) cases. EM studies were diagnostic in 22/57 (38.5%) cases, helpful in 18/57 (31.5%) cases and non-helpful in 17/57 (30%) cases. In 34/64 (53.1%) cases, all ancillary techniques (cell blocks, ICC and EM) were applied and their diagnostic accuracy was compared. Conclusions: With appropriate case selection, ancillary studies performed on aspirated material can provide useful information in FNAC.

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Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been employed as a useful technique for the initial diagnosis of soft tissue tumors (STT) as well for the identification of recurrent and metastatic cases. Aim: We conducted this study on soft tissue tumors to find the efficacy of FNAC and to finalize the histological diagnosis with immunostains. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 126 patients of soft tissue tumors. FNAC and histopathology was performed in all the cases. Results: Hundred and five cases (83.3%) were diagnosed as benign and 21 cases (16.7%) as malignant. On FNAC, tumors were divided into six cytomorphological categories i.e. lipomatous, spindle cell, round cell, myxoid, pleomorphic and vascular tumors. Seventeen cases were inconclusive on cytology. In five cases, the type of malignancy was changed on histological examination. There were three false positive and two false negative cases giving a positive predictive value of 97.2 % in terms of malignancy, a sensitivity of 98.1% and a specificity of 96.7%. Conclusions: FNAC has a definite role in forming the initial diagnosis of STT, while histopathology with the aid of immunomarkers provides the final diagnosis.

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Tissue diagnosis of small round cell tumors relies heavily on immunohistochemical staining. Two of the small round cell tumors, namely neuroblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor, have considerable morphologic overlap. Many studies suggest that CD99 positivity virtually excludes the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. We report a case of poorly differentiated neuroblastoma in which aberrant CD99 positivity led to diagnostic dilemma.

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Background: Diagnosis of endocervical glandular involvement by high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL-EGI) on Papanicolaou (Pap) smears can affect the clinical management of patients. Aim: The cytological criteria for the diagnosis of HSIL-EGI are described and the accuracy of this diagnosis was investigated. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients diagnosed with HSIL-EGI and 40 patients with diagnosis of HSIL on Pap smears with follow-up cone or loop electrocautery excision procedure (LEEP) biopsies were included in the study. The following criteria were evaluated for the cytological diagnosis of HSIL-EGI: atypical cells with definite features of HSIL, three-dimensional atypical squamous cell clusters (TDCs) with attached benign endocervical epithelium, finger-like TDCs covered with intact epithelium on most sides, which represent the finger-like invaginations of the endocervical glandular area involved by HSIL, and the absence of cytological findings of in situ adenocarcinoma of the cervix. Results: On subsequent histopathological evaluation, 16 of 17 (94.1%) patients with a cytological diagnosis of HSIL-EGI and 17 of 40 (42.5%) patients with HSIL exhibited endocervical glandular involvement (P < 0.001, sensitivity: 48.5%, specificity: 95.8%, positive predictive value: 94.1%, negative predictive value: 57.5% and accuracy: 68.4%). Conclusion: Diagnosis of HSIL-EGI may be possible on Pap smears with a high positive predictive value and specificity but low sensitivity, possibly due to cytological sampling limitations. To clarify the results of the present study, more extensive studies with a particular emphasis on the sampling of the endocervical glandular area for cytological evaluation of the cervix are needed.

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Background: Metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) is rarely described in cytology literature. Appropriate cytological diagnosis is important in certain clinical scenarios to exclude a second primary. Aims: To delineate cytological features that are helpful in diagnosing metastatic UC. Materials and Methods: The study included seven male patients with age range of 48 - 72 years. These patients were diagnosed cases of UC and had now presented with lesions in liver, lungs, bones or lymph nodes. Computed tomographic (CT)/ultrasonographic (USG) guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was available from one of these sites. Results: Cercariform cells (CCs) could be identified in five out of seven cases. In four cases, multilayered papillary fragments (MPFs) were identified which were reminiscent of histopathologic appearance of UC. One of these two morphologic features was present in all the cases. However, both CC cells and MPFs were present only in two cases. Conclusion: Previous clinical history is indispensible while diagnosing metastatic UC. MPFs and CC cells are strong morphologic clues to urothelial origin. In poorly differentiated tumors, differentiation from other epithelial tumors may not be possible on the basis of morphology alone.

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Pleural effusion in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is very rare and poorly understood. We report here a 26-year-old male patient having CML and presenting with pleural effusion as the first clinical sign. The possible mechanism of pleural effusion in CML, the cytological interpretive problem and the clinical significance of finding immature leucocytes in pleural fluid are also briefly discussed.

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Background: The role of DNA ploidy in genomic instability of cancer cells and prognosis has been described in a number of studies. The role of the centrosome in cell cycle has also been reported. Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between the centrosome and DNA ploidy in breast cancer in a search for a cytologic predictive and prognostic marker. Materials and Methods: Cell prints were prepared from cell culture of mesothelial cells, fibroblast cell line MRC5 and breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and T47D. Indirect immunofluorescence was used with anti-γ-tubulin and centrosomes were quantified using a fluorescence microscope. DNA ploidy was scored with the DNA index analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: The normal mesothelial cells (94% of the cells with one detected centrosome) and MRC5 diploid cells (68% with two centrosomes) were used as quality controls. A correlation between the number of centrosomes and DNA ploidy was found in MCF7 cell lines (64% of the cells with a number of centrosomes ≥ 3). It was not observed in invasive breast cancer samples; however, the frequency of cells with centrosomes ≥ 3 was found to be slightly higher in DNA aneuploid samples than in DNA diploid samples (15% vs 13.3%). Conclusion: Quantification of centrosome appears to be correlated to DNA ploidy in breast cancer cell lines and slightly associated to DNA aneuploidy in invasive breast cancer. Studies analyzing a larger number of samples as well as morphological abnormalities of the centrosome are needed.

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Sterocleidomastoid tumor of infancy (SCMI), also known as fibromatosis colli of infancy, is a benign, self limiting disease of new born characterised by its classical history and clinical presentation of firm to hard fusiform mass in the lower and middle portion of sternocleidomastoid. SCMI often appears during early perinatal period between second to fourth weeks of life. A well recognized association between SCMI and primiparous birth, breech presentation, prolonged difficult labor and forceps deliveries is found. Cytology shows spindle shaped mature fibroblastic cells scattered singly along with degenerated and multinucleated giant muscle cells in a clean background. It is important to differentiate this lesion from different forms of infantile fibromatosis. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), as a time saving, rapid and reliable diagnostic procedure, has got bigger role to play in reassurance of anxious parents, guiding for conservative management and avoiding surgery.

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Filariasis is a widespread public health problem seen commonly in tropical countries. Microfilariae have been reported in aspiration smears from various sites. However, it is very rare to detect these organisms in voided centrifuged urine cytology. We, report this rare finding in a 25-year-old patient who presented with achylous hematuria.

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Malignant solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is an extremely rare neoplasm. There are only rare published accounts of the cytopathologic features of this tumor. We report a case of a 59-year-old woman presented with a 10-year history of a right thigh mass. A preoperative fine needle aspiration (FNA) was performed. Smears were hypercellular, with cohesive and crowded tissue fragments, haphazard cell arrangements and many single cells. The tumor cells were polymorphous, plump spindled or round with often indented or bare nuclei. A differential diagnosis of low grade sarcoma was favored. The diagnosis of malignant SFT is extremely difficult on FNA and must be included in the differential diagnosis of spindle cell neoplasms.

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Cervicovaginal smear screening is well known to reduce morbidity and mortality rates of invasive cervical carcinoma. Herein, we report a case of 56-year-old woman whose cervicovaginal smear was found to consist of malignant cells characterized by high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, scant rim of cytoplasm, coarsely granular nuclear chromatin and irregular nuclear membrane that were all reminiscent of a malignant lymphoma. Histopathological examination of the hysterectomy and unilateral adnexectomy specimen confirmed the presence of a diffuse large B-cell non Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the cervix, endometrium, myometrium, serosa and the right ovary.

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Adenocarcinoma with massive lymphocyte infiltration is a rare pulmonary neoplasm with few reported cases. It seems to have a better outcome than conventional adenocarcinomas, but it is still not clear if it constitutes a specific clinicopathological entity. We report a case in which cytological studies were available. The small size of the tumor, abundant lymphocyte population, well-differentiated morphology of the neoplasm and scarcity of atypical cells resulted in a difficult cytological diagnosis. This entity should be considered when evaluating pulmonary lesions with abundant lymphocytes. Not all carcinomas with prominent lymphoid stroma show the high-grade, pleomorphic morphology of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas.

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