ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clear cell carcinoma of the gallbladder (CCG) is an unusual histologic variant recognized in the World Health Organ ization classification of tumors of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts. Although the clinicopathologic features have been documented in a few reports, to our knowledge the cytologic findings have not been described before. We report the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings in a case of CCG with hepatic infiltration. CASE: A 72-year-old woman presented with right upper quadrant pain and hepatomegaly. Serum levels of CA19-9 and alpha-fetoprotein were elevated. Computed tomography revealed several hepatic nodules, the larger of which was a mass in contact with the gallbladder, which had a thickened wall. FNAC showed loose sheets and disassociated cells with abundant, clear, finely vacuolated cytoplasm. Atypical bare nuclei, binucleated cells and some multinucleated cells were also found. A simultaneous trucut biopsy from the main hepatic mass confirmed the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: CCG is a clear cell neoplasm that should be considered when clear changes are observed on FNAC. Recognition of the cytologic features, together with adequate clinicoradiologic study, may be sufficient to establish the diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/secondary , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Gallbladder Neoplasms/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Liver/pathology , Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/blood , Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/therapy , Aged , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , CA-19-9 Antigen/blood , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Combined Modality Therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Gallbladder Neoplasms/blood , Gallbladder Neoplasms/therapy , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Liver Neoplasms/blood , Liver Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , alpha-Fetoproteins/analysisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although granulomas can occur in association with malignant neoplasms, including some subtypes of lymphoma, they have been described rarely in marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZCL). To our knowledge, the cytologic features of this association have not been documented. We present the cytologic findings with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of an unusual case of MZCL with concomitant granulomas. CASE: An 82-year-old male presented with a mass in the left parotid gland. The lesion was evaluated by FNAC. The smears showed syncytial aggregates of epithelioid histiocytes intermixed with small and medium-sized lymphoid cells containing round to irregular-shaped nuclei and small nucleoli. Some of these cells had a greater amount of cytoplasm and frequently had a plasmacytoid appearance. The lesion was removed, and histopathologic study showed MZCL associated with extensive nonnecrotizing granulomas. CONCLUSION: Granulomatous reactions can be seen in rare cases of MZCL. However, the cytologic features of the lymphoid infiltrate can suggest the possibility of MZCL in the clinical setting of FNAC performed from an extranodal location, such as the parotid gland.
