title: Fine needle aspiration cytology of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the tongue. A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the tongue has rarely been described.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 47-year-old male was referred to the cytology laboratory for FNAC of a 3-cm-diameter swelling on the dorsum of the tongue, with a primary clinical diagnosis of soft tissue tumor. FNAC smears showed discrete, monomorphic, round to oval cells with scanty, deep blue cytoplasm. The nuclear margin was regular, with occasional prominent nucleoli and fine nuclear chromatin. The background showed many lymphoglandular bodies. The cells were strongly positive for leukocyte common antigen. A cytologic diagnosis of high grade non-Hodgkin's (NHL) was offered and subsequently confirmed by histopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary NHL of the tongue is relatively rare. As there are no characteristic clinical features of extranodal NHL of the tongue, FNAC may be useful for rapid diagnosis and management of such cases.
authors.affiliation: Cytology Unit, Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: U K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Luthra
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mathews
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*