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Fine‐needle aspiration diagnosis of unusual cutaneous neoplasms of the scalp in HIV‐infected patients: A report of two cases and review of the literature
Author(s) -
Solomon Robin K.,
Lundeen Sarah J.,
Hamlar David D.,
Pambuccian Stefan E.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0339(200103)24:3<186::aid-dc1038>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - medicine , scalp , merkel cell carcinoma , occult , lymph node , fine needle aspiration , melanoma , pathology , neck dissection , biopsy , dermatology , carcinoma , alternative medicine , cancer research
We report on two unusual, non‐AIDS‐defining scalp neoplasms, Merkel‐cell carcinoma (MCC) and malignant melanoma, in 2 men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In the first patient, metastatic MCC was initially diagnosed by fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) of a posterior cervical lymph node, based on the cytomorphology and the characteristic immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features. No skin lesion was initially apparent, but a 0.3‐mm scalp primary was found during the ensuing neck dissection. In the second patient, recurrent and metastatic malignant melanoma from a Breslow 1.3‐mm scalp primary was diagnosed by FNA. Both patients developed generalized disease in a relatively short time, despite their small primaries. These cases illustrate the occurrence of Merkel‐cell carcinoma and melanoma in AIDS patients, and stress the need to consider these unusual cutaneous neoplasms when evaluating lymph node FNA samples from HIV‐positive patients, especially since both may present as metastases from clinically occult primaries. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2001;24:186–192. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.