Parathyroid adenoma diagnosed as papillary carcinoma of thyroid on needle aspiration smears.
Needle aspiration of a neck mass was performed on a 55-year-old white female with hypercalcemia. The cytologic material showed cohesive clusters of monomorphic hyperchromatic cells resembling follicular cells. Papillary formation and follicle-like arrangements suggested papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. The histopathologic section of the excised mass, however, revealed a parathyroid adenoma. The diagnostic difficulties in differentiating parathyroid adenoma from well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma are discussed. Data published in the literature emphasize similar difficulties, and it is concluded that a final diagnosis can be established only on histopathologic sections.
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology