Scope of FNAC in the diagnosis of soft tissue tumors--a study from a tertiary cancer referral center in India

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma of the Spine: Report of a Rare Case

This abstract discusses a rare case of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) involving the cervical and dorsal spine in a 17-year-old female. ALCL is a distinct subtype of lymphoma characterized by abnormal proliferation of lymphocytes and is divided into ALK-positive and ALK-negative subtypes. Spinal involvement in ALCL is uncommon, particularly in the cervical and dorsal regions. The patient presented with persistent fever, weakness, and delayed onset of severe neck pain. Diagnosis involved imaging, bone marrow biopsy, and lymph node biopsy. Treatment strategies for ALCL typically involve a multimodal approach, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. However, due to the rarity of spinal involvement, treatment decisions are based on extrapolation from other ALCL cases. Prognosis is influenced by disease stage and ALK status, but specific outcomes for spinal involvement remain poorly established. This case emphasizes the need for considering lymphoma in patients with unexplained symptoms and abnormal imaging findings. It highlights the importance of further research to improve the understanding and management of ALCL with spinal involvement.

Cytomorphology of mesenchymal lesions in a tertiary care centre and its correlation with histopathology

Objectives

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a minimally invasive method for sampling a heterogenous lesion. It is one of the first-line investigations in the evaluation of soft tissue tumours. However, the heterogeneity of mesenchymal lesions pose a challenge to the cytological diagnosis. The present study aims at evaluation of the cytomorphological findings of mesenchymal lesions on FNAC along with their histopathological correlation.

Material and Methods

This was a retrospective study conducted over a period of 1 year from January 2021 to January 2022. All the patients of cytologically diagnosed mesenchymal lesions on their FNA aspirates were included in the study. Cytomorphology of the May Grunwald Giemsa and Papanicolaou stained slides were examined and correlated with clinical and histopathological details wherever available.

Results

Out of the 90 patients, 69 (76.7%) were males and 21 (23.3%) were females. Maximum number of cases were in 4-5th decade of life. The lower limb was found to be the most common site (57.8%) for the mesenchymal lesions. Majority of the cases on FNA in our study were found to be benign - 79 (87.8%), while only 11 cases were malignant (12.2%). On cytological examination, spindle cell lesions were most common followed by adipocytic lesions. Based on the cyto-histological correlation, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in diagnosis of mesenchymal lesion was 78.6%, 100%, 92.5%, 100% and 94.1% respectively.

Conclusion

FNAC is a simple and minimally invasive tool that plays an important role in triaging patients with good specificity and sensitivity.

Cytomorphology of spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma, including MYOD1 (LI22R) mutation result

Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), characterized by MYOD1 (L122R) mutation in a subset of cases is a newly described subtype of RMS. Presently, there is no documentation of cytomorphological features, especially of sclerosing RMS. Case 1: A 24-year-old male presented with pain and swelling in his wrist for a one-year duration. MRI revealed a well-defined soft tissue lesion measuring 5.3 cm, encasing the lower end of the ulna. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears revealed clusters of tumor cells with round to oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, scant to moderate amount of cytoplasm with the wisps of the metachromatic stroma. Histopathological examination revealed a malignant tumor comprising cells with polygonal to spindle-shaped nuclei, arranged in a sclerotic stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for desmin, myogenin, and MYOD1. A diagnosis of sclerosing RMS was offered. Furthermore, the tumor revealed MYOD1 (L122R) mutation. Case 2: A 43-year-old male presented with a 4-month history of "nasal stuffiness" and pressure. Imaging revealed a poorly defined infiltrative lesion in his nasal cavity. FNAC smears revealed loose and tightly cohesive clusters of malignant cells with oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, a moderate amount of ill-defined bluish to finely vacuolated cytoplasm, and focal streak artifact with interspersed stromal fragments. Histopathological examination revealed a malignant tumor composed of oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, embedded in a variably hyalinized stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for desmin, and myogenin. Diagnosis of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS was offered. The present study constitutes one of the first documentation of cytomorphological features of two rare cases of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS. The differential diagnoses and treatment-related implications are presented.

The preoperative value of fine-needle aspiration in adult soft tissue lesions: An analysis of 514 cases at Shanghai Cancer Center

BACKGROUND

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a rapid, inexpensive, and uncomplicated method. However, its role in the assessment of soft tissue lesions (STL) remains controversial, and its ability to guide surgical treatment remains unclear. This study investigated the positive predictive value (PPV) of FNA for detecting malignancy and its guiding role in the surgical treatment of STL.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 514 patients with STL who underwent preoperative FNA and surgical resection between March 2015 and August 2021. Imaging assessments confirmed that radical surgery was possible. The FNA results were compared with the final postoperative histopathology.

RESULTS

Of the 514 patients with STL, 496 (mean age, 48.9 years; range, 21-91 years) were eligible for analysis, the male to female ratio was 111:100. According to the 496 FNA results, 90 (18.2%) were positive for malignancy, 84 (16.9%) were suspicious for malignancy, 80 (16.1%) were spindle cell present, and 242 (48.8%) were negative for malignant cells. Compared with postoperative histopathology, FNA correctly detected all 90 malignant lesions and 203 of the 242 benign lesions. A total of 39 false-negative results were obtained. FNA showed an accuracy of 88.3%, sensitivity of 69.8%, specificity of 100%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 83.9%, and PPV of 100%. In the other seven validation cohorts (n = 1157), FNA had a consistently high PPV, with values all more than 93%.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that FNA has a high PPV for detecting malignancy. For patients with resectable lesions and malignant FNA, the core needle biopsy (CNB) step can be omitted with multidisciplinary evaluation, and subsequent radical surgery can be performed.

Intraoperative frozen section for detection of occult metastasis in clinically N0 neck does not improve outcome in oral cavity carcinomas

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of frozen section (FS) in detecting occult nodal metastasis in cN0 OSCC and its impact on regional failure and survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical records of patients of OSCC operated from January 2013 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were divided into two groups-Group A comprised of patients who underwent selective neck dissection (SND) (level III/IV) and FS based completion (level IV ± V); Group B included patients who underwent SND I-III/IV without FS. The sensitivity and specificity of FS in detecting occult metastasis was calculated. The regional failure rates and overall survival (OS) between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The sensitivity, specificity, PPV (positive predictive value) and NPV (negative predictive value) of FS in detecting occult metastasis were 64.06%, 100%, 100%, and 92.15%, respectively. There was no significant difference in regional failure rates (p = 0.219) and OS (p = 0.08) between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

FS has a poor sensitivity in detecting occult nodal metastasis. FS-guided neck dissection does not have a significant impact in reducing regional failure or improving OS in clinically node-negative neck in oral cavity carcinomas.

Core Needle Biopsy versus Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumors is well discussed and debated. The current evidence restricts its application in recurrent and metastatic lesions, with core needle biopsy as the acceptable technique/gold standard for the primary diagnosis of these challenging tumors. However, there are several studies showing reasonable sensitivity and specificity in primary diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumors, especially in differentiating benign from malignant tumors. There is an acceptable limitation in the exact subtyping of soft tissue tumors, based on cytology smear examination, in the absence of ancillary techniques. Nonetheless, cytology constitutes an optimal material for triaging cases for ancillary techniques, such as immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, molecular cytogenetics, and molecular diagnosis, in the form of smears and cell block preparations. This review focuses on the strengths and limitations of cytology versus core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumors, with the current evidence in the form of published studies, including the authors' experience.

Sarcomas of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region: Analysis of 26 Cases with Emphasis on Diagnostic Challenges

Sarcomas of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region (SOMR) are rare lesions which pose diagnostic and management challenges. We analyzed 26 cases of SOMR with respect to clinical presentation, histopathological subtype, treatment modalities, recurrence, and treatment outcome. In our series, Osteosarcoma (OS) was the most common type of sarcoma (7 cases), followed by 5 cases of Ewing's Sarcoma (ES), 3 cases each of Chondrosarcoma (CS) and Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), 2 cases each of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST), Pleomorphic Undifferentiated Sarcoma (PUS), Myeloid Sarcoma (MS)and Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Surgery was the primary treatment modality in most cases and was combined with adjuvant chemo/ radiotherapy in few cases. 24 of the 26 cases were followed up for an average period of 40.67 months. Adverse disease outcomes like recurrence were seen in 2 cases whereas death due to the disease was reported in 7 cases. In view of the diagnostic challenges faced in SOMRs, it appears practical to stress on the underlying genetic aspects of the disease process rather than histological subtyping to improve disease outcome.

Diagnostic utility of fine-needle aspiration cytology of lesions involving bone

BACKGROUND

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is utilized in the diagnostic work-up of bone lesions in a number of institutions, either in isolation or in conjunction with core biopsy. We report our experience with FNA of bone-based lesions, including comparison of this approach with concurrent core biopsy specimens.

METHODS

Retrospective review over a 5-year period (2011-2015) revealed 233 cases of bone FNAs.

RESULTS

The most commonly encountered diagnosis was malignant neoplasm (160 cases, 68.7%); within this group of malignancies, 103 cases (64.4%) represented metastatic carcinoma. Benign lesions were encountered infrequently (9 cases, 3.9%). While 37 cases (15.9%) revealed "no evidence of malignancy," 12 cases (5.2%) showed atypical findings, 3 cases (1.3%) demonstrated inflammatory conditions, and 12 aspiration biopsies were deemed nondiagnostic (5.2%). In 202 cases, concurrent core biopsies were performed following FNA and rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). Comparison of the FNA and core biopsy diagnoses among malignant neoplasms revealed 19 diagnostic discrepancies, including 16 cases with a false-negative FNA (7.9% of all FNAs with concurrent core biopsy) and 3 cases with a false-negative core biopsy (1.5% of all cases with corresponding FNA).

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that FNA of bone lesions is a useful diagnostic technique with high sensitivity, particularly when the cytologic findings are interpreted in conjunction with the core biopsy and pertinent clinical and radiologic findings. In addition, ROSE followed by open, dynamic communication with the performing radiologist leads to an extremely low rate of inadequate core biopsy specimens, resulting in optimal patient diagnosis and management. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:608-613. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mesenchymal neoplasms of the head and neck: a cytopathologic analysis on fine needle aspiration

INTRODUCTION

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is commonly used to diagnose mass lesions discovered in the head and neck (H&N). Soft tissue neoplasms (STNs) are less common than epithelial tumors in this anatomic zone and often cause diagnostic difficulty when encountered in routine practice. In this study, we examine the frequency of H&N STNs at our institution and describe their cytomorphologic characteristics and clinical correlates.

METHODS

115 FNA specimens from 115 patients with STN of the H&N region were identified (2005-2015) from archives of The Johns Hopkins University Hospital. When available, slides from these cases were reviewed and any corresponding clinical and radiologic data was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 95 (83%) STNs were found to be primary to the H&N region and 20 (17%) were metastatic from distant sites. Of these 95 cases, 58 (61%) primary lesions were benign and 37 (39%) were malignant. The most common STNs were benign nerve sheath tumors, representing 40 (35%) cases: 30 schwannomas, 4 neurofibromas, and 6 were not further classified. The most aggressive neoplasms in terms of clinical outcome were leiomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. In 35 (60%) of the malignant cases and 25 (54%) of the benign cases a subsequent surgical resection was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

H&N can be involved by a wide range of primary and metastatic STNs. benign nerve sheath tumors are the most common STNs found on FNA in this region. Although not always definitively diagnostic, FNA of STNs can often provide a differential diagnosis that can help guide the need for an excision and/or further treatment.

Critical clinical appraisal of the role of computed tomography-guided minimally invasive aspiration cytology in evaluation of retroperitoneal masses

Context:

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is increasing in popularity as a means of diagnosing mass lesions in retroperitoneal area. With use of radiologic guidance for needle placement, this technique is an effective way to obtain diagnostic material.

Aims:

The aims of the study were (1) to establish the validity and reliability of fine needle aspiration cytology in preoperative diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumor, and (2) to compare the significance of cytological diagnosis with histopathological report.

Settings and Design:

A prospective, cross-sectional hospital-based study.

Materials and Methods:

A prospective, cross-sectional study was designed on 45 cases of clinically and radiologically diagnosed retroperitoneal tumor in a tertiary care hospital. Computerized tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous FNA was performed and cytology smears were stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain and conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) stain. Smears were broadly categorized into unsatisfactory, benign, suspicious of malignancy and malignant lesion. The cytological diagnosis was compared with subsequent histopathology report.

Statistical Analysis:

Positive and negative predictive values, diagnostic accuracy, chi-square test and others.

Results:

The total number of cases studied was 45, which include both epithelial tumors and mesenchymal tumors. Age group varied from 15 to 70 years. The overall sensitivity in our study to diagnose benign and malignant tumors by FNA cytology is 86% and the specificity is 96% with positive and negative predictive value of 86% and 96%, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was 93.55% with high statistical significance (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

FNA cytology is a simple, fast, reliable and less expensive method for diagnosis of various retroperitoneal neoplasms.

A prospective study of soft tissue tumors histocytopathology correlation

Background. Soft tissue tumors are defined as nonepithelial extraskeletal tissue of the body exclusive of the reticuloendothelial system, glia, and supporting tissue of various parenchymal organs. The absence of recognizable tissue architectural patterns in cytological preparation makes diagnosis by FNAC more difficult. Aims. To assess the utility of FNAC in diagnosing soft tissue tumors and to determine their patterns compared with with the respective histopathology results. Materials and Methods. 150 cases of soft tissue tumors were included in this study for cytologic and histologic correlation. FNAC air dried smears were stained with Giemsa stain and 95% ethanol fixed smears were stained with Papanicolaou stain. The smears were studied for cytological diagnosis and were categorized as benign, suspicious of malignancy, and malignant along with specific subtyping of the lesion. All diagnostic FNAC results were compared for diagnostic concordance using histology results as the “gold standard.” Results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and efficiency were 70%, 100%, 97.90%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. P value was <0.0001 which shows statistically extreme significant correlation. Conclusion. FNAC is a very important preliminary diagnostic tool in palpable soft tissue lumps with high degree of correlation with the final histopathology report.

Authors attain comparable or slightly higher rates of citation publishing in an open access journal (CytoJournal) compared to traditional cytopathology journals - A five year (2007-2011) experience

BACKGROUND

The era of Open Access (OA) publication, a platform which serves to better disseminate scientific knowledge, is upon us, as more OA journals are in existence than ever before. The idea that peer-reviewed OA publication leads to higher rates of citation has been put forth and shown to be true in several publications. This is a significant benefit to authors and is in addition to another relatively less obvious but highly critical component of the OA charter, i.e. retention of the copyright by the authors in the public domain. In this study, we analyzed the citation rates of OA and traditional non-OA publications specifically for authors in the field of cytopathology.

DESIGN

We compared the citation patterns for authors who had published in both OA and traditional non-OA peer-reviewed, scientific, cytopathology journals. Citations in an OA publication (CytoJournal) were analyzed comparatively with traditional non-OA cytopathology journals (Acta Cytologica, Cancer Cytopathology, Cytopathology, and Diagnostic Cytopathology) using the data from web of science citation analysis site (based on which the impact factors (IF) are calculated). After comparing citations per publication, as well as a time adjusted citation quotient (which takes into account the time since publication), we also analyzed the statistics after excluding the data for meeting abstracts.

RESULTS

Total 28 authors published 314 publications as articles and meeting abstracts (25 authors after excluding the abstracts). The rate of citation and time adjusted citation quotient were higher for OA in the group where abstracts were included (P < 0.05 for both). The rates were also slightly higher for OA than non-OA when the meeting abstracts were excluded, but the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.57 and P = 0.45).

CONCLUSION

We observed that for the same author, the publications in the OA journal attained a higher rate of citation than the publications in the traditional non-OA journals in the field of cytopathology over a 5 year period (2007-2011). However, this increase was statistically insignificant if the meeting abstracts were excluded from the analysis. Overall, the rates of citation for OA and non-OA were slightly higher to comparable.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of biopsy in musculoskeletal lesions: a comparison of fine-needle aspiration, core, and open biopsy techniques

Selection of biopsy technique for musculoskeletal lesions is complex. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is uncommonly used due to concerns regarding accuracy. We compared diagnostic accuracy of FNA, core, and open biopsy in a series of musculoskeletal lesions. Records of the University of Utah were searched for biopsy and resection specimens of musculoskeletal lesions. Results of corresponding imaging studies were obtained. Biopsy and FNA diagnoses were correlated with resection diagnoses. For each technique, diagnostic accuracy, utility, and frequency of subsequent biopsy were calculated. Open biopsy had the highest diagnostic accuracy (89%) followed by FNA (82%) and core biopsy (78%). Clinically significant errors occurred with all methods. The likelihood of an open biopsy being performed was affected by prior performance of an FNA or core biopsy and by diagnostic imaging and FNA results.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of retroperitoneal lesions: a 5-year experience with an emphasis on cytohistological discrepancy

BACKGROUND

The retroperitoneal space contains various organs which can be affected by various non-neoplastic and neoplastic pathological processes. A diagnosis of these retroperitoneal lesions is often difficult. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) under image guidance is now becoming an effective tool for the initial evaluation of retroperitoneal lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of ultrasound-guided FNAC in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lesions in comparison to histopathology and to assess the probable causes of failure in cases of pitfalls in cytodiagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

During the study period of 5 years, a total of 104 cases of retroperitoneal lesions were aspirated under USG guidance. Seven cases yielded inadequate material, the remaining 97 cases were included in the study group.

RESULTS

Out of 97 cases, the kidney was the most common organ aspirated (27 cases; 27.8%). Malignant lesions (68 cases; 70.1%) were much more frequent than benign or non-neoplastic lesions (29 cases; 29.9%). Tuberculosis was the most common non-malignant lesion (14 cases) and renal cell carcinoma was the most frequent malignant lesion encountered (15 cases). In 5 cases (7.9%), the histological diagnosis showed inconsistent results in comparison to cytodiagnosis.

CONCLUSION

USG-guided FNAC is a safe, rapid, relatively cheap and fairly accurate procedure for the assessment of retroperitoneal lesions.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of granular cell tumor: A report of two cases

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon soft tissue tumors, which are difficult to diagnose merely on clinical examination. Being an effective first-line investigation, the fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays a significant role in its pre-operative recognition. However, as the tumor is likely to mimic certain other lesions, a cytopathologist needs to be aware of its characteristic cytomorphology. We report two cases of GCT who presented with subcutaneous swellings in the left lower back and the right-sided anterior abdominal wall for 6 and 2 months, respectively. Both the patients had a clinical diagnosis of lipoma/neurofibroma. FNAC was done in both. In the first case a cytodiagnosis of xanthogranuloma was suggested and GCT in the second. Subsequent histologic examination of both showed features of GCT. FNAC would aid in presumptive diagnosis of GCT.

Value of ancillary studies in the evaluation of fine-needle aspiration specimens: Our experience

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.

A comparison of cytological and histopathological findings and role of immunostains in the diagnosis of soft tissue tumors

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.

Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal masses: A study of 85 cases

Background:

The diagnosis of retroperitoneal lesions is one of the most difficult areas in surgical pathology. The retroperitoneal space allows both primary and metastatic tumors to grow silently before the appearance of clinical signs and symptoms. Fine needle aspiration cytology has shown promising role in establishing the diagnosis in this region.

Objectives:

This study was undertaken to evaluate the reliability of ultrasonography (USG)-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions in the retroperitoneum, and to correlate the diagnosis by cytology of retroperitoneal masses with the results obtained by histology.

Materials and Methods:

The study was carried out on 85 patients presenting over the last five years with retroperitoneal masses on ultrasound.

Results:

Out of 85 cases, 32 were of kidney, 27 of lymph nodes, 24 of retroperitoneal soft tissues, and two were of the adrenals. Malignant lesions (47) were more common than nonmalignant lesions (38). In the kidney, the maximum number of cases were of renal cell carcinoma (12-38%), followed by Wilm's tumor (6-19%), pyonephrosis (5-16%), renal cyst (4), angiomyolipoma (2), cortical pseudotumor (2), and tuberculosis (1). Out of 27 cases of retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, 12 cases (44%) were of metastatic carcinoma followed by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (8-30%), tuberculosis (6-22%), and Hodgkin's lymphoma (1). The two cases of the adrenals were of angiomyolipoma and metastatic carcinoma. Among the 24 soft tissue tumors in the study, seven (29%) were malignant and 17 (71%) were benign (lipoma being the most common benign neoplasm). Results from histopathological investigations were available in 47 cases, out of which 45 were consistent with the FNAC-based diagnoses. Two cases for which the histopathological results were inconsistent with the FNAC diagnoses, were of renal cell carcinoma, which had been diagnosed as renal cysts on cytology.

Conclusions:

USG-guided FNAC is an inexpensive, rapid, safe, and accurate procedure for the diagnosis of retroperitoneal masses.

Analysis of nondiagnostic results after image-guided needle biopsies of musculoskeletal lesions

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE

Image-guided needle biopsies are commonly used to diagnose musculoskeletal tumors, but nondiagnostic (ND) results can delay diagnosis and treatment. It is important to understand which factors or diagnoses predispose to a ND result so that appropriate patient education or a possible change in the clinical plan can be made. Currently it is unclear which factors or specific lesions are more likely to lead to a ND result after image-guided needle biopsy.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

We therefore identified specific factors and diagnoses most likely to yield ND results. We also asked whether an image-guided needle biopsy of bone and soft tissue lesions is an accurate and clinically useful tool.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed data from a prospectively collected database for a case-control study of 508 image-guided needle biopsies of patients with suspected musculoskeletal tumors between 2003 and 2008.

RESULTS

The interpretations of 453 of the 508 (89%) needle biopsies were accurate and clinically useful. Forty-five biopsies (9%) were ND and 10 (2%) were incorrect (IC). Bone lesions had a higher ND rate than soft tissue lesions (13% vs. 4%). The specific diagnosis with the highest ND rate was histiocytosis. Elbow and forearm locations had higher ND rates than average. Malignant tumors had a higher IC rate than benign tumors (5% vs. 0%); fibromyxoid sarcoma and rare subtypes of osteosarcoma had higher IC rates than other diagnoses. Repeat needle or open biopsies were performed in 71 (14%) patients. Bone lesions were more likely than soft tissue lesions to require repeat biopsies (18% vs. 9%).

CONCLUSIONS

A high rate of accuracy and clinical usefulness is possible with image-guided needle biopsies of musculoskeletal lesions. We believe these biopsies appropriate in selected circumstances but a key factor for appropriate use is an experienced musculoskeletal tumor team with frequent communication to correlate clinical, radiographic, and histologic information for each patient.

Diagnostic accuracy and limitations of fine-needle aspiration cytology of bone and soft tissue lesions: a review of 1114 cases with cytological-histological correlation

BACKGROUND

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is increasingly being used as a diagnostic modality for soft tissue and bone lesions. These diagnoses can be challenging because of a variety of factors, including interpretation and sampling issues. This study investigates the diagnostic utility of FNA biopsy, in addition to the diagnostic pitfalls, in soft tissue and bone cytopathology.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the soft tissue and bone FNAs over a 4-year period (2004-2008), along with available ancillary studies, pathological follow-up, and clinical data. The cases with a cytologic-histologic discrepancy were then reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 1114 soft tissue and bone FNAs were identified. Of the 1114 aspirates, 525 (47%) were positive for malignant cells, 505 (45.5%) were benign aspirates (including 189 benign lesions/neoplasms), 37 (3.5%) were inadequate, 34 (3%) had atypical cells, and 13 (1%) were suspicious for malignancy. Of the 586 cases (53%) with follow-up, including 445 cases with histological follow-up and 141 with ancillary studies, the overall sensitivity was 96%, the specificity was 98%, the positive predictive value was 99%, and the negative predictive value was 92%. A total of 15 false negatives and 3 false positives were identified with errors because of sampling (9 cases), interpretation (7 cases), and screening (2 cases).

CONCLUSIONS

This large series demonstrates that there can be a high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing bone and soft tissue lesions by FNA. Our data supports prior studies in the literature in showing that FNA cytology can be a valuable method for diagnosing these lesions.

Role of cytology in diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas with special reference to false positive cases

Background:

Histological diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas is a difficult job not only for diverse architecture of different variants but also for variability in picture among different parts of a single tumor. Thus, cytodiagnosis of these tumors is one of the most challenging jobs.

Aims:

To evaluate the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis of soft tissue malignancies and discuss the false-positive cases with particular reference to causes of misdiagnosis and possible ways of correction.

Materials and Methods:

In the present study, we used cytology for categorization of 59 soft tissue malignancies according to predominant cell type and also on the basis of differentiation.

Results:

Out of 59 cytodiagnosed malignant soft tissue tumors, 36 were classified as high grade and rest as low grade. Spindle cell sarcoma was the commonest diagnosis, followed by pleomorphic variant. Histological correlations were performed in 47 cases showing consistency in 41 cases. Rest six cases with disparity were further discussed to ascertain causes of failures and to chalk out possible plans to evade these pitfalls in future.

Conclusions:

Overall our study established the role of cytology in diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas with good cytohistological correlation rate (87.2%).