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Detection of Extravascular Trypanosoma Parasites by Fine Needle Aspiration
Published on: August 7, 2019
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Primary diagnosis of angiosarcoma by fine needle aspiration: Lessons learned from 3 cases
M Lepe1, Y Hui1, L Pisharodi1
1Rhode Island Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Diagnostic Cytopathology
|November 1, 2017
Summary
Angiosarcomas, rare aggressive vascular tumors, can now be diagnosed via fine needle aspiration. This study details three distinct cases, aiding in early detection of these challenging malignancies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cytopathology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Angiosarcomas are rare, aggressive endothelial cell malignancies with increasing incidence.
- Radiotherapy use is a potential contributing factor to rising angiosarcoma rates.
- Limited literature exists on the primary cytologic diagnosis of angiosarcoma.
Observation:
- This study presents three distinct angiosarcoma cases diagnosed via fine needle aspiration (FNA).
- Cases included thyroid, mediastinal, and skin angiosarcomas, offering diverse clinical, radiologic, and cytopathologic perspectives.
- Key cytomorphologic features include atypical spindle to epithelioid cells, pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and mitotic activity.
Findings:
- Cytologic findings reveal large, atypical cells with abundant cytoplasm, pleomorphic nuclei, and vesicular chromatin.
- Intracytoplasmic lumens are a helpful diagnostic clue for vascular differentiation.
- Differential diagnoses include Kaposi sarcoma (aided by HHV-8 staining) and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
Implications:
- Accurate cytologic diagnosis of angiosarcoma via FNA is crucial for patient management.
- Early detection is vital due to the high metastatic potential and mortality rate of angiosarcomas.
- This study expands the understanding of angiosarcoma cytomorphology and diagnostic considerations.
