Pulmonary carcinoid with papillary structure: report of a case with fine-needle aspiration cytology

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a peripheral lung mass in a 44-yr-old man revealed a papillary tumor. Histologic examination of the mass, removed by lobectomy, demonstrated a pulmonary carcinoid tumor with papillary structure. Most papillary tumors of the lung are malignant. Pulmonary carcinoid and pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma--benign tumors--have papillary variants. Both have been described in fine-needle aspiration specimens and should be included in the differential diagnosis of papillary lung tumors. The cytologic features of pulmonary carcinoid are described.