Table 1 Medline listed peer reviewed reports since 1995 examining the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis of phyllodes tumour.

Authors	Year	Focus of study	n (PT)	Controls	Blinding	% PT with definite diagnosis on FNAC	Comments
Shabalova et al60	1997	Diagnose benign and borderline PT	19	Yes (FA, fibrocystic disease, and carcinoma)	No	32%	Atypical changes in large proportion. Advise care in cytopathological diagnosis if myxoid stromal component
Shabb et al61	1997	Elucidate features of PT	8	No	No	N/A	Discussion relates to distinguishing PT from FA. Advise multiple aspirates and thin smears
Deen et al62	1999	Distinguish FA and PT	19	Yes (FA)	No	N/A	Overlapping spectrum. Suggest intermediate group of uncertain malignant potential
Bhattarai et al63	2000	Determine PT subtypes	80	No	Yes	71.3%	Good cytohistological correlation in 81%. Advise multiple site aspiration
Krishnamurthy et al64	2000	Distinguish FA and PT	12	Yes (FA)	No	33.3%	Long spindle nuclei comprising ⩾30% of dispersed stromal cells diagnostic of phyllodes tumour (10–30% = indeterminate)
Scolyer et al65	2001	Distinguish FA and PT	8	Yes (FA)	Yes	62.5%	Hypercellular stromal fragments most useful feature – presence should raise possibility of PT
Badhe et al66	2002	Distinguish FA and PT and determine subtypes	9	Yes (FA)	Yes	77%	Semiquantitative team approach improved diagnosis of FA
Jayaram et al67	2002	Diagnose PT and determine subtypes	28	No	No	71.4%	Criteria for diagnosis of benign PT = at least two of large stromal fragments, hypercellular stromal fragments, and moderate to large numbers of dissociated stromal cells
Shimizu et al68	2002	Distinguish FA and benign PT	18	Yes (FA)	No	N/A	Size and shape of epithelial clusters provide additional clues (longer than 1 mm, wavy or folded in phyllodes tumour)
Totals			201			99/156 = 63%	Indeterminate results excluded

FA, fibroadenoma; FNAC, fine needle aspiration cytology; PT, phylloides tumour.