Diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis in an unruptured hepatocellular carcinoma on ascitic fluid cytology: A rare scenario with brief review of literature.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy in adults occurring in a background of cirrhosis. Peritoneal dissemination of HCC is an unusual presentation with an incidence of 2%-16%. Peritoneal metastasis of an unruptured HCC is extremely uncommon. Despite low yield, ascitic fluid cytology serves as a valuable tool for diagnostic evaluation in a patient of cirrhosis with suspicion of malignant transformation. We present a rare case scenario in an elderly female with cirrhosis where the diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis was established on ascitic fluid cytology and confirmed by immunocytochemistry. This report illustrates the unique clinical presentation of an unruptured HCC with its cytological features and a brief review of literature.

Role of diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ovary with cancerous peritonitis: case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is a very rare ovarian neoplasm that has a poor clinical outcome even in the early stage, and there is as yet no established treatment. Diagnostic laparoscopy has been used to determine the possibility of primary optimal cytoreductive surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. However, the role of diagnostic laparoscopy is still unclear in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma due to its rarity. CASE PRESENTATION: A 31-year-old woman with abdominal distention was referred to our hospital. She was strongly suspected of having advanced ovarian cancer because of a huge pelvic mass, massive ascites, and their appearance on medical imaging. However, cytological examinations from ascitic fluid by abdominal paracentesis did not show any malignant cells. She underwent diagnostic laparoscopy to evaluate the possibility of primary optimal cytoreductive surgery, and only tissue sampling was performed for pathological diagnosis because of the countless disseminated lesions of various sizes in the intraperitoneal organs. The patient had no postoperative complications, leading to the early start of postoperative chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: To date, there have been no systematic reviews that focused on determining the treatment strategy using laparoscopy. Diagnostic laparoscopy can be helpful to determine the optimal treatment, including primary debulking surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or best supportive care, assisting in decision-making particularly for patients with advanced large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with carcinomatous peritonitis.

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma in ascitic fluid: A case report with cytohistological correlation.

The fibrolamellar variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC) is distinguished from other hepatocellular carcinoma's (HCC) by its unique clinical and pathological features. Cytological features of this tumor on fine needle aspiration have been described earlier. We report a rare case of a 17-year-old African American male with metastatic FL-HCC, diagnosed by body fluid cytology. The patient presented with ascites and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple omental masses and liver lesions. The fluid sample was obtained along with the omental biopsy and was found positive for metastatic fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. The fluid cytology showed atypical polygonal cells with enlarged nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant granular cytoplasm. Cytomorphologic features of FL-HCC presenting in body fluids have been rarely described before. This case enriches the cytopathology literature by providing awareness of this tumor presenting as metastasis in body fluids, especially in young individuals with liver lesions. Presence of a concurrent biopsy specimen provided cytohistological correlation, as it remains the gold standard for the accuracy and reliability of cytological diagnoses. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:757-760. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A specimen volume of ≥80 mL improves cytologic sensitivity for malignant ascites: a retrospective analysis of 2665 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Although paracentesis simultaneously allows cytologic evaluation of peritoneal fluid and symptomatic relief, its utility is limited by a paltry 50% to 60% sensitivity for malignancy. Specimen volume has recently been shown to affect cytologic diagnosis in other body fluids, but its role has never been examined in ascites. This study evaluates how specimen volume impacts cytologic diagnosis of malignant ascites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 2665 consecutive paracentesis specimens with documented numeric volumes collected at our institution between 1994 and 2013. We separated the cases into 10 bins of roughly equivalent sample size and compared the percentage of cases that received malignant diagnoses across each cutoff volume. When follow-up pathology was available, we also compared the sensitivity of cytology with the gold standard of surgical pathology. RESULTS: The peritoneal fluids had a mean volume of 760.2 mL (range: 1-10,000). Just 11.3% of specimens with volumes <80 mL were diagnosed as malignant, while 20.1% were malignant at volumes ≥80 mL (P < 0.001, OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.39-0.64). Lower volume specimens also had more indeterminate and nondiagnostic results. Cytologic sensitivity increased from 56.7% for specimens <80 mL to 75.4% for volumes ≥80 mL (P = 0.03, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.19-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: A specimen volume of ≥80 mL is associated with increased cytologic sensitivity for malignant ascites and a higher rate of malignant diagnoses. The disparate sensitivity at lower volumes likely stems from inadequate sampling of larger specimens. Although fluids should not be summarily rejected based on volume, a specimen volume of ≥80 mL minimizes the influence of specimen size on diagnostic adequacy in paracentesis specimens.

Complicated and delayed diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal tuberculosis is very rare in European countries. However, its incidence is increasing due to the continued immigration of people from endemic areas affected by tuberculosis. CASE REPORT: The authors report a case of tuberculous peritonitis in a 46-year-old male patient from North Africa. The presenting symptoms of the disease were hiccups, dyspepsia, anorexia, and weight loss. Physical examination revealed an abdominal distension that suggested the presence of ascites. Subsequent investigations of ultrasound and computed tomography of the abdomen revealed the presence of massive ascites. A diagnostic laparoscopy went on to highlight a macro micronodular degeneration of the peritoneum. Histological examination showed the presence of epithelioid granulomas with typical Langhans cells with areas of caseous necrosis. The diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis was then made, and the ascites quickly disappeared in response to the anti-mycobacterial therapy. The patient remained free of symptoms after 6 months of clinical follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In this case the clinical diagnosis was complicated and delayed due to clinicians' suboptimal knowledge of and experience with this disease. This case demonstrates why laparoscopy with peritoneal biopsy should be the gold standard in any clinical suspicion.

Primary ovarian adenosarcoma with elevated Ca-125 levels and normal ascitic fluid cytology: a case report and review of literature.

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian adenosarcoma is a very rare tumour for which treatment options vary. We will consider the option of optimal cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of ifosamide (mesna) and adriamycin to prevent systemic metastasis, and will observe the role of serial CA-125 levels as a follow-up marker. CASE REPORT: We report a case of ovarian adenosarcoma in a 38-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain, distention due to massive ascites. She had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy 8 months previously for abnormal uterine bleeding. She underwent paracentesis followed by optimal cytoreductive surgery. A post-operative histopathologic diagnosis of primary adenosarcoma was confirmed. She was assigned a stage III C cancer. She received five cycles of ifosamise (mesna) and adriamycin and is on follow-up with serial CA-125 levels. There is no evidence of recurrence clinically, biochemically, or radiologically for more than 12 months. CONCLUSION: Multimodality treatment comprising optimal cytoreductive surgery followed by ifosamide (mesna) and adriamycin-based chemotherapy may be an option for treatment of these aggressive tumours. Follow-up with serial CA-125 values in advanced stage adenosarcoma of the ovary is a novel observation which needs to be researched.