title: Metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology: a report of 3 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) usually have a benign clinical course, with an excellent long-term prognosis and a propensity for vascular invasion. The most common sites of metastases are lung and bone. Only a few reports are available on fine needle aspiration biopsy findings from metastatic lesions of FTC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 68-year-old man presented with a thyroid mass and skin nodule on the scalp. Skin nodule aspiration revealed metastatic FTC. A 52-year-old woman and 60-year-old man were investigated for chronic anemia. As part of the routine investigation, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were performed from the posterior iliac crest and diagnosed as metastatic FTC. Further questioning revealed that the patients had undergone thyroidectomy 10 and 13 years earlier. The aspiration material in all 3 cases revealed epithelial cell clusters with marginal (fire-flare) vacuoles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytologic diagnosis of metastatic FTC has been reported rarely. Marginal (fire-flare) vacuoles aid in making the diagnosis of metastatic FTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. kumarv@sums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Perikala V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monabati
authors.forename: Seyed Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Tabei
authors.forename: Mani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramzy
authors.forename: Syed Vahid
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Husseini
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khajeh
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*