Cytological Study of Effusions.

Background: Effusion fluid analysis plays an important role in clinical medicine. Clinicians rely on the reports of effusion fluids and use them as complement to their clinical assessment for the diagnosis and management. Aim: To study the incidence of neoplastic and non neoplastic effusions. Objectives: i) To study the gross and microscopic features of effusions; ii) To study the pattern of effusions in various neoplastic and non neoplastic conditions. Material and Method: 550 specimens of pleural, peritoneal and pericardial fluid were studied. Fluid samples were centrifuged for five minutes at 2000 rpm and smears prepared from deposit were stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin (H and E), Giemsa and Papanicolaou stains (Pap). Result: Out of 550, 315 were pleural effusions, 234 peritoneal and one was pericardial. Out of total 315 cases of pleural effusions, 297 were non neoplastic and 18 were neoplastic effusion. Out of total 234 peritoneal effusions 214 were non neoplastic and 20 neoplatic. Commonest malignancy in pleural and peritoneal fluid was adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Pleural effusion was the commonest fluid in this study. Exudates were predominant in pleural effusion and transudates were predominant in peritoneal effusion. Common causes of exudates in pleural effusion were tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia and malignancy. Common causes of transudates in peritoneal effusion were liver cirrhosis and congestive cardiac failure (CCF). Adenocarcinoma was the commonest malignancy in both pleural and peritoneal effusion (30 cases).

Primary Osteosarcoma of the Breast.

Primary osteosarcoma of the breast is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor representing 12.5% of mammary sarcomas. It is associated with early recurrence and hematogenous rather than lymphatic spread, most commonly to the lungs. We report a case of 55 year old lady with gradually increasing painless lump measuring 7 × 6 cm in upper outer quadrant of left breast of 2 months duration. FNAC smears revealed pleomorphic spindle cells admixed with osteoid and chondroid material. A differential diagnosis of metaplastic carcinoma and malignant phyllodes tumor was offered. Histopathology of the modified radical mastectomy specimen showed predominantly osteosarcomatous areas. Epithelial component was not seen even after extensive sampling of the tumor. On immunohistochemistry, vimentin, S100 and CD68 were positive while AE1/AE3, CAM5.2, ER, PR, Her2-neu and desmin were negative confirming a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Primary osteosarcoma of breast must be differentiated from metaplastic carcinoma and malignant phyllodes tumor because of different biological behaviour and treatment approach. Immunohistochemistry plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of this tumor.

Stromal luteoma: report of a rare case.

Steroid cell tumours (SCTs) account for less than 0.1% of all ovarian tumours. Three major categories ofSCTs include (1) stromal luteoma, (2) steroid cell tumour not otherwise specified and (3) Leydig cell tumours that do not have another component. Stromal luteomas constitute 20% of SCTs. They usually occur in postmenopausal women and about 60% present with estrogenic manifestations. We report a case of stromal luteoma in an elderly lady who presented with postmenopausal bleeding secondary to endometrial hyperplasia. An interesting finding in our case was the presence of many eosinophilic hyaline globules scattered throughout the tumour, the significance of which remains to be determined.

Superficial extension of squamous cell carcinoma in situ of cervix involving endometrium, bilateral fallopian tubes and ovaries: a case report.

Although squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is the commonest gynaecological malignancy in India, squamous cell carcinoma of the endometrium is rare. Direct extension from the cervical growth can involve the uterine corpus but superficial spread without invasion of the underlying myometrium is uncommon. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma in-situ of the cervix with superficial extension to the endometrium and both fallopian tubes with simultaneous involvement of both the ovaries.