title: Fine needle aspiration cytology of epithelioid variant of schwannoma--a diagnostic dilemma.
abstract: Epithelioid variant of schwannoma is a rare type of benign nerve sheath tumor which has an aggressive clinical course in comparison to the conventional schwannoma. We report one such case in a 53 year old female with an aspirate from a swelling in the nape of the neck. It posed a diagnostic dilemma because of its cellularity numerous groups of plump epithelioid cells along with multinucleated cells. The cells were lying in a myxoid stroma, coming singly and in nests and cords thus mimicking an epithelial tumor. The initial cytologic diagnosis of possibly a skin adnexal tumor was rendered. This case highlights the diagnostic pitfall encountered in the aspiration cytology of neurogenic tumors.
authors.affiliation: Cytopathology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
authors.forename: Nandita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghosal
authors.forename: Kusum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kapila
authors.forename: Kusum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*