Faculty Bibliography

We describe the fine-needle aspiration biopsy findings in a case of epithelioid myoepithelioma of the parotid gland in a 24-yr-old male. The cytologic features of myoepithelioma of the parotid gland are only documented in a few case reports and we believe the cytologic description of the epithelioid variant has been described in only one other case. The differential diagnosis with other salivary gland neoplasms is discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34: 776-779. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc

BACKGROUND: Axillary lymph node status is still considered the most significant prognostic factor for breast cancer outcome, and treatment decisions are based on the presence or absence of nodal disease. Intramammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) can be a site of regional spread. Is this a marker for more aggressive disease? METHODS: We reviewed the cancer center pathology database from 1991 to 2005 for all cases of breast cancer with IMLNs. RESULTS: IMLNs were identified in 64 breast cancer patients, with metastatic spread in 20 patients, and benign IMLNs described in 44 patients. Positive IMLNs were associated with more aggressive disease, including higher rates of invasive versus noninvasive cancers (5% ductal carcinoma-in-situ [DCIS] with positive IMLNs vs. 23% with negative IMLNs), lymphovascular invasion (55% vs. 11%), and a higher rate of axillary lymph node involvement (72% vs. 18%). Patients with positive IMLNs were also more likely to undergo mastectomy (75% vs. 54%). CONCLUSIONS: IMLN metastases are a marker for disease severity; recognition of this may influence choice of adjuvant therapy. The presence of metastatic disease in an IMLN is associated with a high rate of axillary nodal involvement, and should mandate axillary dissection. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy may help identify these extra-axillary metastases

BACKGROUND: Breast masses occur in men far less commonly than women and are infrequently subjected to fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. Papillary lesions of the male breast are rare and are comprised of a spectrum of lesions ranging from papillary hyperplasia in gynecomastia to invasive papillary carcinoma. The following study describes the cytomorphology of papillary breast lesions in 11 men. The patients ranged in age from 23 to 78 years old and each presented with an unilateral subareolar or periareolar breast mass that varied in size from 0.5 to 3 cm. Two patients presented with bloody nipple discharge. METHODS: Archival material (8-year period) from FNA biopsies of papillary lesions of the male breast was reviewed. The reviewed cases were correlated with appropriate clinicopathologic follow-up. RESULTS: The smears had variable cellularity but all showed papillary clusters of mammary epithelial cells with and without fibrovascular cores. Single epithelial cells with a high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio and eccentric nuclei were seen in all smears; however, these were more numerous in cases of adenocarcinoma. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were present in all cases. Nipple discharge was seen only in the 2 benign lesions. All adenocarcinomas occurred in older men. CONCLUSIONS: The only cytologic criteria that differentiated benign from malignant papillary lesions were marked cellularity and the presence of abundant 3-dimensional clusters. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the current series is the largest in the English literature to date that examines the cytomorphologic features of papillary breast lesions in men

The use offine-needle aspiration biopsy or percutaneous core needle biopsy to diagnose breast lesions has increased during the past few decades. Although the benefits of these procedures are well known, controversies remain about the management of certain categories of breast lesions detected by these methods. This article discusses the management issues in categories of breast lesions, including papillary lesions, atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ, and mucinous lesions diagnosed by the preoperative techniques of aspiration or core biopsy

PURPOSE: To retrospectively review the imaging and histologic findings in patients in whom a benign papillary lesion was diagnosed at core-needle breast biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board at each institution; patient consent was not required. The study was HIPAA compliant. The authors reviewed the findings from 42 patients (age range, 26-76 years; mean age, 54.3 years) with 43 benign papillary lesions diagnosed at core-needle biopsy. Thirty-six (84%) of the 43 lesions were surgically excised, and seven (16%) were followed up with long-term imaging. The authors assessed the radiographic findings, the histologic findings at core-needle biopsy, and the findings at subsequent surgical excision or imaging follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed on a per-patient basis and included the Blyth-Still-Casella procedure to construct exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: At core-needle biopsy, lesions were diagnosed as papilloma (n = 29), sclerosing papilloma (n = 8), and benign papillary lesions not otherwise specified (n = 6). For the 36 lesions that were surgically excised, histologic follow-up showed no residual lesion in 10, intraductal papilloma in 14, intraductal papillomatosis in two, papilloma with adjacent foci of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) in eight, and well-differentiated papillary ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in two. Mammographic follow-up in the remaining seven lesions revealed stable calcifications in five (at 28-55 months) and no residual lesion in two (at 26-29 months). In nine of the 42 patients (21%), the diagnosis was upgraded to either ADH or DCIS (exact two-sided 95% CI = 11.4%, 36.4%). CONCLUSION: The results strongly suggest that papillary lesions diagnosed as benign at core-needle biopsy should be surgically excised because a substantial number of lesions were upgraded to ADH and DCIS at excision

CDX-2 is a homeobox gene, which encodes a transcription factor that plays a vital role in the development and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells. Recent studies showed that CDX-2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has a high predictive value for confirming the diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma (ACA). The differentiation of primary pulmonary ACA from metastatic colorectal ACA can be extremely challenging on fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The results of immunostains for TTF-1, CK 7, and CK 20 may be controversial in the differential diagnosis. In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of CDX-2 in lung FNA specimens. Cell blocks from 41 primary lung and 20 colorectal ACAs metastatic to the lungs were retrieved. Cell block sections were immunostained with a CDX-2 monoclonal antibody. Sensitivity and specificity of CDX-2 for colorectal ACA was 75 and 100%, respectively. All five cases negative for CDX-2 were moderately to poorly differentiated colorectal ACAs. Our study confirms that CDX-2 is a highly useful immunohistochemical marker for the differentiation of primary pulmonary ACA from colorectal ACA metastatic to the lungs in FNA specimens. Of diagnostic importance is the loss of CDX-2 immunoreactivity in poorly differentiated colorectal ACAs. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:191-195. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc

We compared the overall ASC rate and the outcomes for women with different categories of ASC before and after TBS 2001 to evaluate the impact of TBS 2001. Our laboratory reported ASC in four subcategories before TBS 2001; ASC, favor reactive (ASC-R), favor low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) (ASC-L), undetermined significance (ASC-US), and ASC-H. Since the implementation of TBS 2001, we have been reporting ASC as ASC-US and ASC-H. After TBS 2001, our ASC rate decreased from 6.2% to 4% (P < 0.0001). Before TBS 2001, ASC-R carried the same risk as ASC-US for underlying condyloma/CIN 1. Moreover, ASC-R was rarely associated with CIN 2 or 3. Before TBS 2001, ASC-H captured more low-grade (condyloma/CIN 1) and less high-grade (CIN 2, 3, and SCC) lesions compared to after TBS 2001. More women with ASC-H after TBS 2001 underwent colposcopy (80% vs. 71%, P < 0.05). Twenty-two percent of women with ASC-H required 2-4 colposcopies to identify the high-grade lesion. Our results confirm that consistent application of TBS 2001 terminology for ASC reduces the ASC rate, and better identifies women at high risk for CIN 2, 3, and SCC. In addition, ASC-H requires very close clinical follow-up as a significant percentage of women require more than one colposcopy to identify the high-grade lesion