Intraoperative cytologic crush preparation findings in craniopharyngioma: a study of 72 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the intraoperative crush preparation and the cytologic features of craniopharyngioma and the differential diagnosis.


METHODS
Twelve cases of craniopharyngioma were diagnosed by crush preparation cytology in the Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, and formed the basis of this study. The patients' ages ranged from 7 to 43 years; 3 were female and 9 male. The cytologic findings together with the histologic findings were studied.


RESULTS
All cases had a high yield of cells, consisting of honeycomb sheets of epithelial cells with and without palisading rows of cells, papillary clusters, squamous cell clusters, anucleated squames, calcification, multinucleated giant cells, cholesterol crystals, glandular or rosettelike structures, ciliated columnar cells and spindle cells. The smears were diagnosed as suggestive of craniopharyngioma. Histologic sections confirmed the cytologic diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraoperative cytologic crush preparation findings are helpful in the diagnosis of craniopharyngioma, when combined with clinical information. Crush preparation cytology is important in the diagnosis of central nervous system tumors.
Daneshbod
Yahya
Y
Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, Islamic Republic of Iran. daneshbk@yahoo.com
Monabati
Ahmad
A
Kumar
Perikala V
PV
Taghipoor
Musa
M
Bedayat
Gholam Reza
GR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods