Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1991 Dec;44(12):997–1002. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.12.997

Cytological features of non-small cell carcinomas of the lung in fine needle aspirates.

S B Zusman-Harach 1, H R Harach 1, A R Gibbs 1
PMCID: PMC494967  PMID: 1665154

Abstract

Fifty eight lung tumours were typed according to the second World Health Organization histological classification and compared with the cytological appearances obtained by fine needle aspiration in a total of 47 primary non-small cell carcinomas. The presence of glands, cell balls, branching or papillary structures, cylindrical cells and nuclear grooving were major diagnostic indicators for adenocarcinoma. Cytoplasmic macrovacuoles were more common in adenocarcinomas (69%) than in squamous (37%) and large cell (50%) carcinomas. Two or more of these features were combined in all well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas and in 67% of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The major cytological indicators for squamous carcinomas were the presence of keratin and eosinophilic spindle cells with glassy or laminated cytoplasm. Granular cytoplasm was not specific for any histological type. A combination of the major features for both adeno- and squamous carcinoma was present in 58% of adeno-squamous carcinomas, including some poorly differentiated types. Correct typing could be obtained in almost all the well and moderately differentiated carcinomas and in about two thirds of the poorly differentiated tumours using FNA, provided that combinations and not individual variables are considered.

Full text

PDF
997

Images in this article

998Image
on p.998
999Image
on p.999
999Image
on p.999
1000Image
on p.1000
1000Image
on p.1000
1001Image
on p.1001

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Chan J. K., Saw D. The grooved nucleus. A useful diagnostic criterion of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. Am J Surg Pathol. 1986 Oct;10(10):672–679. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198610000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dahlgren S. E. Aspiration biopsy of intrathoracic tumours. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1967;70(4):566–576. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1967.tb01326.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dahlgren S. E., Lind B. Comparison between diagnostic results obtained by transthoracic needle biopsy and by sputum cytology. Acta Cytol. 1972 Jan-Feb;16(1):53–58. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Feinstein A. R., Gelfman N. A., Yesner R. Observer variability in the histopathologic diagnosis of lung cancer. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1970 May;101(5):671–684. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1970.101.5.671. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Francis D., Højgaard K. Transthoracic aspiration biopsy. A study on diagnostic reproducibility. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1977 Nov;85(6):889–896. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Harach H. R., Franssila K. O., Wasenius V. M. Occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. A "normal" finding in Finland. A systematic autopsy study. Cancer. 1985 Aug 1;56(3):531–538. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19850801)56:3<531::aid-cncr2820560321>3.0.co;2-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Harach H. R., Skinner M., Gibbs A. R. Biological markers in human lung carcinoma: an immunopathological study of six antigens. Thorax. 1983 Dec;38(12):937–941. doi: 10.1136/thx.38.12.937. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hess F. G., Jr, McDowell E. M., Trump B. F. Pulmonary cytology: current status of cytologic typing of respiratory tract tumors. Am J Pathol. 1981 May;103(2):323–333. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Johnston W. W. Cytologic diagnosis of lung cancer. Principles and problems. Pathol Res Pract. 1986 Mar;181(1):1–36. doi: 10.1016/S0344-0338(86)80184-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Johnston W. W. Cytologic diagnosis of lung cancer. Principles and problems. Pathol Res Pract. 1986 Mar;181(1):1–36. doi: 10.1016/S0344-0338(86)80184-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kanhouwa S. B., Matthews M. J. Reliability of cytologic typing of lung cancer. Acta Cytol. 1976 May-Jun;20(3):229–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lange E., Hoeg K. Cytologic typing of lung cancer. Acta Cytol. 1972 Jul-Aug;16(4):327–330. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mennemeyer R., Hammar S. P., Bauermeister D. E., Wheelis R. F., Jones H. W., Bartha M. Cytologic, histologic and electron microscopic correlations in poorly differentiated primary lung carcinoma. A study of 43 cases. Acta Cytol. 1979 Jul-Aug;23(4):297–302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pilotti S., Rilke F., Gribaudi G., Damascelli B., Ravasi G. Transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy in pulmonary lesions. Updated results. Acta Cytol. 1984 May-Jun;28(3):225–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Poe R. H., Tobin R. E. Sensitivity and specificity of needle biopsy in lung malignancy. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Nov;122(5):725–729. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.122.5.725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Roger V., Nasiell M., Linden M., Enstad I. Cytologic differential diagnosis of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma and bronchogenic adenocarcinoma. Acta Cytol. 1976 Jul-Aug;20(4):303–307. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sinner W. N. Pulmonary neoplasms diagnosed with transthoracic needle biopsy. Cancer. 1979 Apr;43(4):1533–1540. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197904)43:4<1533::aid-cncr2820430447>3.0.co;2-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sterrett G., Whitaker D., Glancy J. Fine-needle aspiration of lung, mediastinum, and chest wall. A clinicopathologic exercise. Pathol Annu. 1982;17(Pt 2):197–228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Suprun H., Pedio G., Ruttner J. R. The diagnostic reliability of cytologic typing in primary lung cancer with a review of the literature. Acta Cytol. 1980 Nov-Dec;24(6):494–500. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Taft P. D., Szyfelbein W. M., Greene R. A study of variability in cytologic diagnoses based on pulmonary aspiration specimens. Am J Clin Pathol. 1980 Jan;73(1):36–40. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/73.1.36. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tsumuraya M., Kodama T., Kameya T., Shimosato Y., Koketsu H., Uei Y. Light and electron microscopic analysis of intranuclear inclusions in papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung. Acta Cytol. 1981 Sep-Oct;25(5):523–532. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. YESNER R., GERSTL B., AUERBACH O. APPLICATION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION OF LUNG CARCINOMA TO BIOPSY MATERIAL. Ann Thorac Surg. 1965 Jan;1:33–49. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)66719-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Yazdi H. M., MacDonald L. L., Hickey N. M. Thoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy versus fine needle cutting biopsy. A comparative study of 40 patients. Acta Cytol. 1988 Sep-Oct;32(5):635–640. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Zaman M. B., Hajdu S. I., Melamed M. R., Watson R. C. Transthoracic aspiration cytology of pulmonary lesions. Semin Diagn Pathol. 1986 Aug;3(3):176–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES