There’s more to cytology than meets the eye final 3
1. There’s more to Cytology than
meets the Eye
Genevieve Warner Learmonth
2. When screening a slide, note carefully what
you observe, no matter how odd it may seem,
Before you make up your mind,OPEN IT!
There’s a bone in her mouth!
But isn’t a giraffe herbivorous?
3. Cervical smear, age 40
Screening programme
Primary screener: “carbon laden macrophages”
Or is it melanin?
4. Patient referred for Colposcopy
& Biopsy
Histopathology: malignant
Brown lesion on ectocervix melanoma
5. FNA Breast: on - site breast clinic
Screener phoned
me and described
“smear is black. I
think I can see
carbon laden
macrophages”.
The aspirate looks
like liquorice !”
7. Cytology comment was queried
by senior colleagues ,so the
mass was excised,
Histological
findings --- probable lymph
node relpaced by diffuse
fibrosis and anthracosis. No
lypmhoid tissue remaining.
No epithelial cells present.
Conclusion: Hut Breast
8. Further Enquiry
The female patient was admitted to hospital
for investigation of dyspnoea ? TB.
Chest Xray showed diffuse fibrosis
? Pneumoconiosis.
The mass in the upper outer quadrant of the
breast was an incidental finding !!
Patient was sent to the breast Clinic
9. Hut dweller from Transkei, inhalation of smoke
in huts, termed “hut Lung” Prof Bateman ( GSH
1992). Mediastinal lymphatics are overwhelmed
with carbon. Intramammary nodes involved as
well as neck nodes.
10. FNA Mass in Right lower lobe of
Lung, female 32yrs old.
Cytology
Review
Primary screener: “highly
atypical cells”.
Plentiful cytoplasm
Round nuclei
?Bronchiolar alveolar carcinoma?
Correlate with Chest Xray in view
of age.
Review: Granular
cytoplasm, suggestive of hepatic
cells.
11. Xray Chest --- diaphragmatic
hernia
Antero
posterior Lateral
12. Cystic Mass 5cm in
Supraclavicular area ? node
Primary screener:
? Talc granules Too big , have another look
13. Have a look at High Power!
Rostellum of hooklets, scolices, suckers----
Echinococcus granulosis
15. FNA of Parotid Gland male age 35
Clear Fluid aspirated:
Primary screener:
“Contaminants, dust or
pollen.
Review: Scolices
ENT surgeons:
Disbelief !
So “cut it out”
21. Larva with constriction in gut
Literature search
revealed several
publications with similar
MRI findings.
Eosinophilia not always a
feature
Treat with Albendozole
and cortisone
Patient got out of bed
four days later
Repeat MRI
22. Clear CSF. ? Lymphoma
Primary screener : few lymphocytes
Review: Lymphocytes degenerative changes.
No polymorphs.
No eosinophils
? Larval worm ? Toxocara
I conveyed my findings to the clinicians, they
came rushing to the lab with copies of the
MRI.
23. Woman 45yr sudden onset transverse
myelitis. Lower body paralysis. Arms
paralysed. CSF clear fluid for cytology