Squash smear cytology of pituitary granular cell tumor: A case report and review of literature with special emphasis on cytological differential diagnosis in pituitary region.

Neurohypophysis granular cell tumor (NGCT) is a rare entity and is classified under thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) expressing tumors of pituitary. It is considered as an uncommon differential during sellar and suprasellar mass evaluation. Its intraoperative squash cytology is distinct and has rarely been reported in literature. A 65-year-old female presented with reduced vision of right eye and history of seizures. Radiological findings revealed a sellar/suprasellar mass with mass effect on optic chiasma. Intraoperative squash neurocytology examination showed a spindle cell lesion with abundant granular cytoplasm in tumor cells. Subsequent histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of granular cell tumor. Granular cell tumor remains one of the sellar/suprasellar surprises. Its intraoperative neurocytology is unique and should be considered while evaluating a sellar/suprasellar mass. A case of sellar granular cell tumor with its intraoperative squash cytology, histopathology along with a review of literature is being presented with special emphasis on cytological differential diagnosis in pituitary region.

Role of Field Staining in the Cytological Assessment of Intraoperative Surgical Specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of Field staining in scrape smears for intraoperative cytological (IOC) diagnosis. Specimens were assessed for categorizing among benign and malignant lesions, lymph node status, and adequacy of surgical cut margins as per specimen. Technique, adequacy, and quality were assessed along with comparison of cytological diagnosis with final histopathological diagnosis obtained on routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study was conducted over a period of 1 year from November 2016 to October 2017 in the Department of Pathology of our Institute. RESULTS: 50 cases were studied, and scrape smears were stained with Field stain. Results were satisfactory in terms of adequacy and attaining the objectives of the study. A diagnostic accuracy of 98% was observed with an average turnaround time of 5 min. A single case of low-grade glioma was found to be discordant. CONCLUSIONS: Use of Field staining for intraoper-ative cytological assessment of surgical specimens has 98% concordance with the final histopathological diagnosis and achieved the aim of the study. With its low costs, easy availability, short turnaround time, and simple technique, it will be helpful in IOC as an alternative to present techniques especially in financially constrained settings.

Cytomorphological Findings of Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma on Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology.

BACKGROUND: Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a rare neoplasm arising from follicular dendritic cells of germinal centers. The most common site of origin is lymph nodes and it may mimic a variety of tumors at that location, including carcinomas and sarcomas. Diagnosis is frequently missed on cytology as there are very few case reports describing the cytological characteristics of the lesion. Even on histology, a high degree of suspicion is required for an appropriate diagnosis. CASE: A 60-year-old male presented with a gradually increasing left submandibular mass that had been present for 3 months. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed, showing many clusters as well as scattered epithelioid cells with spindled to oval nuclei, nuclear pleomorphism, grooves, inclusions, and uniformly dispersed mature lymphocytes throughout the smears. The diagnosis of FDCS was suspected and was confirmed on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: FNAC can be a cheap, easy, and helpful tool in obtaining a diagnosis of FDCS as there are few characteristic cytological features that are better recognized than histology.