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Atypical cytological presentation of granular cell tumour: Tumour‐associated fibrosis may affect fine‐needle aspiration cytology accuracy
Author(s) -
Vitagliano Giulio,
Montella Marco,
Cozzolino Immacolata,
Alfano Carmine,
Barbato Alfonso,
Zeppa Pio,
Caputo Alessandro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1365-2303
pISSN - 0956-5507
DOI - 10.1111/cyt.12945
Subject(s) - pathology , cytology , granular cell tumor , medicine , fine needle aspiration cytology , fine needle aspiration , fibrosis , nucleolus , granular cell , biopsy , immunohistochemistry , nucleus , psychiatry , central nervous system
The cytological features of granular cell tumour (GCT) are generally quite typical but, in some cases, the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) diagnosis of GCT may be difficult or impossible because of unusual sites of onset or equivocal cytological features. In this report, two GCTs with atypical FNAC features are described in order to investigate the causes and provide possible diagnostic tips. From a series of nine histologically proven GCTs, two inconclusive FNAC cases were retrieved. Smears were poorly cellular showing isolated naked nuclei, anisonucleosis, granular chromatin and occasional small nucleoli. The background was finely granular in one case. Histological controls of these cases revealed marked fibrosis. Tumour‐associated fibrosis in GCT is variable and does not seem to influence clinical behaviour but it influences the harvest and the integrity of granular cells collected by FNAC. When GCT smears are poorly cellular, attention should be paid to the granular background and to the few granular cells, if any, as they might be the only features to suggest a GCT.