Fine needle aspiration cytology of thymic carcinoid tumor

Acta Cytol. 1995 May-Jun;39(3):423-7.

Abstract

Carcinoid tumors of the thymus are very rare, and their cytologic findings have not been reported previously in English. Retrospective study of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytologic features in four histopathologically verified thymic carcinoid tumors are described here in detail. The FNA cytology of thymic carcinoids is characterized by predominantly single and some loose clusters of small, round to oval cells with scanty cytoplasm, interspersed with some larger cells with moderate to abundant, granular cytoplasm. The differential diagnosis of the cytologic features between carcinoid tumor and other mediastinal tumors is also discussed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnosis
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Carcinoid Tumor / diagnosis
  • Carcinoid Tumor / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / diagnosis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / diagnosis
  • Male
  • Mediastinal Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Middle Aged
  • Thymus Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*