Citations

Abstract Introduction/Objective Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a fatal malignancy. We report an unusual case of a patient with ATC whose chief complaint and clinical history were listed as “jaundice and liver mass” without mention of disease in the neck. Methods/Case Report A 66-year-old female presented to the emergency department with worsening “yellow-green skin discoloration” for a few weeks. She also reported worsening dyspnea and recent dysphagia with solid foods, fatigue, abdominal pain and recent hemoptysis. Physical examination revealed conjunctival icterus, jaundice, a tender neck mass, right upper chest wall tenderness and palpable lymphadenopathy in the lower neck. Assessment notes indicated inability to carry out self-care and being bedridden, even though she reported having been active, swimming and cycling, up to one month before her presentation. Computed tomography studies confirmed findings compatible with widespread malignancy with mass lesions in her liver, lungs, adrenals, kidneys, neck, pancreas, gallbladder, and brain. Mild anemia, hemoglobin 10.5g/dL, mild leukocytosis, leukocytes 17,000/mm3, were confirmed. Bilirubin was 15µmol/L, and hepatic enzymes were elevated. An ultrasound-guided liver biopsy was performed and evaluated for cytologic features, histologic features and pattern of immunoreactivity. The combined cytomorphologic and histologic features were those of a pleomorphic sarcomatoid high-grade malignancy with variably spindled to epithelioid morphology and associated necrosis. Immunohistochemical studies performed on sections from the accompanying core biopsy confirmed the malignant cells to be positive with CK-AE1/AE3, CK 7, TTF-1, GATA3, PAX8, SATB2, and BRAF V600E. The malignant cells were nonreactive with CK 20, thyroglobulin, calcitonin, napsin, CDX2, PCEA, and ER. The combined clinical setting, imaging findings, cytomorphology, histomorphology and ancillary testing results together allowed for a specific diagnosis of metastatic anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. The patient was referred for palliative care services and died within a few days of diagnosis. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion Metastatic disease from a sarcomatoid ATC, as diagnosed in this case, is an important differential diagnosis to keep in mind when an elderly patient presents with multisite metastases from an undefined primary source. Clinical, radiological and laboratory correlations are of paramount importance in correlating with cytomorphology/histomorphology and in helping to determine the best panel of IHC studies to consider.

Introduction. Assessment of axillary lymph nodes in breast carcinoma is an important part of staging to guide appropriate clinical management. Lymph node inclusions of different types, including nevoid, squamous, and glandular, are rare but have been reported in multiple different anatomic locations including the axilla. These can result in diagnostic challenges and pose risks of misdiagnoses. Rarely, malignancies may arise intrinsic to otherwise incidental benign nodal inclusions. Case Presentation. We report a case of ductal carcinoma diagnosed within a squamous epithelial inclusion cyst within an axillary lymph node in a patient with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the ipsilateral right breast. To our knowledge, this is the fifth report in the literature of breast carcinoma confirmed within an axillary inclusion in a patient with pure DCIS. Evaluation of the primary DCIS and lymph node inclusions, by routine and immunohistochemical stains, was performed for assessment. Discussion. The presence of lymph node inclusions can pose a challenge in assessment of benignity and malignancy, on frozen and permanent histologic sections. Pathologists should carefully evaluate lymph node inclusions to ensure that intrinsic malignancies are not missed within rare otherwise benign appearing incidental epithelial rests.

AbstractThis report highlights information and outcomes from the November 2022 ASC/IAC joint Cytology Education Symposium, an annual conference organized by the Cytology Programs Review Committee. The manuscript provides information on shared educational opportunities and practices for cytology students and other learners in anatomic pathology, discusses recruitment strategies for schools of cytology, conveys teaching resources, introduces perspectives on virtual microscopy and online learning, and transmits information about wellness of students in schools of cytology.

AbstractBackgroundObtaining a diagnosis and treating pulmonary malignancies during the same anesthesia requires either an on‐site pathologist or a system for remotely evaluating microscopic images. Cytology specimens are challenging to remotely assess given the need to navigate through dispersed and three‐dimensional cell clusters. Remote navigation is possible using robotic telepathology, but data are limited on the ease of use of current systems, particularly for pulmonary cytology.MethodsAir dried modified Wright‐Giemsa stained slides from 26 touch preparations of transbronchial biopsies and 27 smears of endobronchial ultrasound guided fine needle aspirations were scored for ease of adequacy assessment and ease of diagnosis on robotic (rmtConnect Microscope) and non‐robotic telecytology platforms. Diagnostic classifications were compared between glass slides and the robotic and non‐robotic telecytology assessments.ResultsCompared to non‐robotic telecytology, robotic telecytology had a greater ease of adequacy assessment and non‐inferior ease of diagnosis. The median time to diagnosis using robotic telecytology was 85 s (range 28–190 s). Diagnostic categories were concordant for 76% of cases in robotic versus non‐robotic telecytology and 78% of cases in robotic telecytology versus glass slide diagnosis. Weighted Cohen's kappa scores for agreement in these comparisons were 0.84 and 0.72, respectively.ConclusionsUse of a remote‐controlled robotic microscope improved the ease of adequacy assessment compared to non‐robotic telecytology and enabled strongly concordant diagnoses to be expediently rendered. This study provides evidence that modern robotic telecytology is a feasible and user‐friendly method of remotely and potentially intraoperatively rendering adequacy assessments and diagnoses on bronchoscopic cytology specimens.

AbstractIntroductionIn evaluating malignant pleural fluid cytology, metastatic adenocarcinomas and mesotheliomas are often differential diagnoses. GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) has historically been used to confirm metastatic breast carcinomas; however, GATA3 has low specificity if mesothelioma is included in differential diagnoses. Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) protein is expressed in all types of breast carcinomas, with reported high specificity and sensitivity. We investigated the performance of TRPS1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and compared it to GATA3 in pleural fluids diagnosed with metastatic breast carcinoma and mesothelioma.MethodsThirty‐six consecutive ThinPrep pleural fluids and 4 pleural fine needle aspirations (FNAs) with diagnoses of metastatic breast carcinoma (21) and mesothelioma (19) were retrieved, and IHC with TRPS1 and GATA3 was performed on all. Immunoreactivity scores for TRPS1 were calculated by multiplying percentage of immunoreactive cells by staining intensity. Immunoreactivity scores were negative if 0 or 1, low positive if 2, intermediate positive if 3 or 4, or high positive if 6 or 9. Nuclear immunoreactivity of ≥10% with at least moderate intensity was judged GATA3 positive.ResultsGATA3 showed immunoreactivity in all metastatic breast carcinomas and 84% of mesotheliomas. TRPS1 was immunoreactive in all breast carcinoma cases (18 with a score of 9 and 3 with a score of 6). TRPS1 showed low positivity in 5% of mesothelioma cases with all other cases being negative.ConclusionWhen cytomorphologic differential diagnoses of mesothelioma exist, TRPS1 is a more specific marker than GATA3 for confirmation of metastatic breast carcinoma in pleural fluid cytology.

AimsDue to its rarity and non‐specific clinical and pathological features, low‐grade adenosquamous carcinoma (LGASC) of the breast continues to pose diagnostic challenges. Unlike other triple‐negative breast carcinomas, LGASC tends to have an indolent clinical behaviour. It is essential to recognise this lesion for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.Methods and resultsTwenty‐five cases of LGASC were identified in our archives and collaborating institutes. Cases of LGASC with dominant coexisting other type carcinomas were excluded. We studied the clinical presentation, morphological features, patterns of the commonly used immunohistochemical stains and follow‐up. In our cohort, LGASC was commonly located at the outer aspect of the breast and associated with intraductal papilloma. The morphology of LGASC is characterised by infiltrating small glands and nests with variable squamous differentiation. We also found cuffing desmoplastic (fibrolamellar) stromal change in 75% of patients and peripheral lymphocytic aggregates in 87.5% of patients. P63 and smooth muscle myosin (SMM) were the most common myoepithelial markers used to assist in diagnosis. P63 often stained peripheral tumour cells surrounding invasive glands (circumferential staining in 80% of the cases), mimicking myoepithelial cells. It also stained the small nests with squamous differentiation. However, SMM was negative in 63% of the cases. The vast majority of our cases were triple‐negative; only a few had focal and weak expressions of ER and PR. One patient who did not have excision developed lymph node metastasis. Most patients underwent excision or mastectomy with negative margins as surgical treatment; there were no recurrences or metastases in these patients with clinical follow‐ups up to 108 months.ConclusionsLGASC has some unique, although not entirely specific, morphological features and immunohistochemical staining patterns. Fibrolamellar stromal change, peripheral lymphocytic aggregates and variable staining of p63 and SMM are valuable features to facilitate the diagnosis.

AbstractLymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease with variable presentations. The neoplastic cells in LAM demonstrate a unique and diagnostically important “myomelanocytic” phenotype. Cytologic reports of LAM are infrequent and have not in the past emphasized the floating island pattern in which circumscribed aggregates of lesional cells are rimmed by appliques of flattened endothelium. This case illustrates the cytology of LAM and emphasizes that the floating island cytoarchitectural pattern more classically associated with entities such as hepatocellular carcinomas may be seen in cytological preparations of LAM at unanticipated body sites.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and specimen quality of lymph node biopsies prepared through a novel automated system for automated fixation, drying and staining compared to standard slide preparation method. Methods: We performed a prospective, single-center study of patients undergoing endobronchial ultrasound. Samples were split into conventional standard of care (SOC) slide preparation and preparation using the device (ASP). Pathologists compared the SOC slides to the slides prepared by the automated system and assessed the following metrics: nuclear and cytoplasmic quality, presence of debris/artifact, staining quality, creation of a monolayer, and ease of adequacy/diagnosis assessment. A score between 1 (lowest quality) and 3 (highest quality) was assigned to the above metrics. Results: 60 patients were recruited. One to three lymph nodes were sampled for each patient with a total of 73 samples collected. The mean scores of each assessment category showed no statistical difference between the two preparation techniques except for improved monolayer creation in the ASP samples. All samples showed diagnostic equivalency between the automated slides and conventional slides except for one which was reported to be suspicious on the ASP sample and atypical on the SOC. Conclusion: Study results suggest that slides prepared by the automated system are of adequate quality for adequacy assessment with diagnostic concordance when compared to SOC slides.

The published literature on cervicovaginal cytology includes fewer than ten reported cases of Cokeromyces recurvatus identified in Pap test samples. We report a unique case of an asymptomatic 27-year-old female with persistent gynecologic tract colonization by C. recurvatus in which distinctive fungal microorganisms were identified in three samples collected over three consecutive years.