ABSTRACT
Adenoid cystic carcinoma occurring in the external auditory canal is very rare. Two cases are being reported. One was diagnosed on cytology based on which surgery was planned. In the second case, fine needle aspiration procedure had to be abandoned due to severe pain and a biopsy was required for its diagnosis. Morphologically, it resembles its more common salivary gland counterpart. Though severe pain during needling may be a limiting factor, adenoid cystic carcinoma of external auditory canal can be confidently diagnosed on cytology based on which surgical management can be planned.
ABSTRACT
By convention, soft tissue tumors include the peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) although they arise from neuroectoderm. PNSTs display a wide spectrum of morphology and biological behavior. Malignant transformation in benign tumors, especially neurofibroma, is an acknowledged phenomenon.This article describes clinico-pathological features of 126 PNSTs with their morphological variants and those associated with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) encountered in a single center over a 6-year period. Benign PNSTs were more common [118 (93.65%)] when compared with their malignant counterparts [8 (6.34%)]. Histological variants including plexiform schwannomas and diffuse, plexiform and pigmented forms of neurofibromas, though rare, were observed. Eleven (8.73%) patients with NF1 showed a strong association with plexiform neurofibroma. A malignant transformation in pre-existing neurofibroma was seen in 1 patient with NF1. This series highlights the clinico-pathological spectrum of PNSTs, their morphological variants and the incidence of associated NF1. The importance of detecting plexiform variants lies in their vastly different prognostic implications particularly when occurring in the setting of NF1.
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Male , Nerve Sheath Neoplasms/diagnosis , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/diagnosisABSTRACT
The objective of the study is to document the value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of filariasis at all possible sites in both exfoliative cytologic material and fine needle aspirates. Both unguided and guided FNACs of all foci were studied over a period of two years between 1999 to 2000. Total 22 cases of filariasis were detected which included subcutaneous swellings(7), breast(3), thyroid(3), lymphnodes(3), effusions(3), cervical scrape(1), eyeball(1), sputum(1) and bronchial washing(1). In none of these cases was filariasis considered a diagnostic possibility. Cytologic smears showed eosinophils in 9 cases, oval ova and embryonated eggs in 2 cases. Microfilariae were associated with other diseases in 13 cases, including 6 cases of malignancy. Significant adherence of inflammatory cells and macrophages to microfilariae was present in 6 of the 22 cases. In endemic areas,filariasis should be considered one of the differential diagnosis of a swelling. Thus demonstration and identification of the parasite in cytologic smears played a significant role in the prompt recognition of the disease and institution of specific treatment, thus obviating the more severe manifestations of lymphatic frilariasis.