title: Diagnosis of recurrent uterine carcinosarcoma by fine-needle aspiration cytology: report of a case.
abstract: Uterine carcinosarcomas are uncommon, aggressive neoplasms usually afflicting postmenopausal women. Histologically, they are characterized by the presence of both malignant epithelial and stromal cells. The latter may be either homologous or heterologous in nature. The cytologic diagnosis of carcinosarcoma via fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was previously described for primary tumors arising in the parotid gland, breast, lung, and ovary. Although the diagnosis of uterine carcinosarcoma via cervicovaginal, endometrial, and peritoneal fluid cytology has been described, the FNA cytology diagnosis of recurrent uterine carcinosarcoma has only been rarely described. We present a case of recurrent uterine carcinosarcoma in a 59-yr-old woman, diagnosed by ultrasound-guided FNA cytology. Cytologic smears showed a biphasic neoplasm consisting of both malignant columnar epithelial and spindle cells, in a background of tumor diathesis. This case illustrates the diagnostic utility of aspiration cytology in the investigation of recurrent carcinosarcoma in clinically suspicious lesions arising postsurgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cytopathology, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0548, USA.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Filipowicz
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sawh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Logroño
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy