title: Fine-needle aspiration cytology of soft-tissue calcinosis presenting as an enlarging mass in the chest wall.
abstract: Calcinosis cutis is an uncommon condition, and calcific deposits in patients with end-stage renal disease are now somewhat rare, due to improvement in management. Since calcific deposits may clinically resemble a tumor, it is feasible to investigate them by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). A 52-yr-old male with a history of end-stage renal failure presented with a 2-cm mass in the left chest wall. Within 6 mo the mass enlarged to nearly four times its original size. In view of clinical suspicion of malignancy, FNAC was performed. Cytopreparations showed abundant calcium, indicative of soft-tissue calcinosis. The case is interesting, since the known history of end-stage renal failure enabled the FNAC diagnosis of soft-tissue calcinosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology, Wellington Hospital and School of Medicine, New Zealand.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naran
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged