title: Intraoperative cytologic crush preparation findings in craniopharyngioma: a study of 72 cases.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, Islamic Republic of Iran. daneshbk@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Daneshbod
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monabati
authors.forename: Perikala V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghipoor
authors.forename: Gholam Reza
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Bedayat
mesh_terms: 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