title: Fine needle aspiration of focal liver lesions.
abstract: Fourteen percutaneous fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of focal liver lesions performed under ultrasound guidance at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), Oman, between January 1991 and October 1992, are presented. Ten of these were cytologically diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). The patients' ages ranged from 50 to 70 years and eight of these were males. The important diagnostic cytological criteria of HCC were found to be increased nucleocytoplasmic (N/C) ratio, trabecular pattern, atypical naked nuclei, bile production by malignant hepatocytes and absence of bile duct epithelium. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) positivity of bile canaliculi by cross-reaction with biliary glycoprotein I (BGP I) made possible the differentiation of HCC from metastases. We stress the importance of cell blocks as these often constitute microbiopsies. Ultrasound-guided FNA of focal liver lesions is recommended as a simple, easy and quick procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Al Khoud, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rebello Pinto
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Koelma
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C069847:CD66 antigens; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006023:Glycoproteins